:::m in 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Bequest  of 
Howard  A.    Judy 


, 


,0-0,0^ 
•  &•<*  p-eo.r .  • 


WORK   AND   WIN; 


on. 


NODDY    NEWMAN   ON    A    CRUISE 


fcr  gating 


BY 


OLIVER     OPTIC, 

AUTHOR  OF    "RICH   AXD   HUMBLE,"    "  IX   SCHOOL  AND   OUT,"    "  'WATCH    AJT* 

WAIT,"     "THE     KIVERDALG     8TOIIY    BOOHS/'     il  THE     ARMY     AXB 

NAVY  STORIES,"   "THE   BOAT  CLUB,"    "ALL  ABOARD," 

"NOW  OR  NEVER,"  ETC. 


BOSTON: 
LEE   AND   SHEPAKD,   PUBLISHERS. 

NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES  T.  DILLIXGIIAM. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  18C5,  by 

WILLIAM    T .   ADAMS, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Mawaclu 


GIFT 


A: 


TO 


MY    YOUNG    FRIEND, 


EDWA11D     C.    BELLOWS 


IS    AFFECTIONATELY    DEDICATED. 


051 


THE  WOODYILLE  STORIES. 

IN  SIX  VOLUMES. 

A   LIBRARY   FOR   BOYS  AND    GIRLS, 

BY    OLIVER    OPTIC. 


1.    RICH    A.KTID 

J3_    I1ST    SCHOOL    AIXTID    OTJT. 

S.   "WA-TOIHC    ^^ISTID 


A.3XTJD 

S.    HOFE    A.3NT3D    HA.  "VIE. 
6. 


PREFACE. 


IN  the  preparation  of  this  volume,  the  author  has  had  in 
Ais  mind  th«  intention  to  delineate  the  progress  of  a  boy 
whose  education  had  been  neglected,  and  whose  moral 
attributes  were  of  the  lowest  order,  from  vice  and  indiffer 
ence  to  the  development  of  a  high  moral  and  religious 
principle  in  the  he^rt,  which  is  the  rule  and  guide  of  a 
pure  and  true  life. 

The  incidents  which  make  up  the  story  arc  introduced 
to  illustrate  the  moral  status  of  the  youth,  at  the  beginning, 
and  to  develop  the  influences  from  which  proceeded  a 
gentle  and  Christian  character.  Mollie,  the  captain's 
daughter,  whose  simple  purity  of  life,  whose  filial  devotion 
to  an  erring  parent,  and  whose  trusting  faith  in  the  hour 
of  adversity,  won  the  love  and  re.cpect  of  Noddy,  was 
not  the  least  of  these  influences.  If  the  wiiter  has  not 
"  moralized,"  it  was  because  the  true  life,  seen  with  >'ie 
living  eye,  is  better  than  any  precept,  however  skilful*  U 
may  be  dressed  by  the  rhetorical  genius  of  tin  TnraUV 
1  *  (5« 


t)  PREFACE. 

Once  more  the  author  takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging 
the  kindness  of  his  young  friends,  who  have  so  favorably 
received  his  former  works  ;  and  he  hopes  that  "  WORK 
AND  WIN,"  the  fourth  of  the  Woodville  Stories,  will  have 
as  pleasant  a  welcome  as  its  predecessors. 


WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 


HARRISON  SQUARE,  MASS., 
November  10,  1865. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAP  I.  —  The  Mischief-Makers. 

CHAP.  II.  —  The  Circus  at  Whitcstonc.        .        .        .        •      24 
CHAP.  III.  —  A  Moral  Question.  ..••••      37 

rA 

CHAP.  IV.  —  Noddy's  Confession. 

ClIAP.  v.  —  Squire  Wriggs  at  Woodville 

CHAP.  VI.  —  Noddy's  Engagement 77 

CHAP.  VII.  —  The  Ring-Master.  ...••• 

CHAP.  VIII.  —  Good  by  to  Woodville. 

CHAP.  IX.  —  An  Attempt  to  Work  and  Win.      .        .       •    H5 

128 
CHAP.  X.  —  Poor  Mollie 

CHAP.  XI.  —  The  Schooner  Roebuck «    ^ 

CHAP.  XII. —  The  Drunken  Captain.  .        .        .        •        •    1 

CHAP.  XIII. -The  Shark 1G8 

CHAP.  XIV.  —  The  Yellow  Fever •    ' 

CHAP.  XV.  —  The  Demon  of  the  Cup •    ' 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAP.  XVI.  —  Night  and  Storm.           .    :    .        .  .        .211 

CHAP.  XVII.  —  After  the  Storm. 225 

CHAP.  XVIII.  —  The  Beautiful  Island.         .        .  ,        .    239 

CHAP.  XIX.  —  The  Visitors.         .        .        .        .  ;        .253 

CHAP.  XX.  —  Homeward  Bound. ....  .267 

CHAP.  XXI.  —  The  Clergyman  and  his  Wife.     .  .    277 


WORK   AND    WIN. 


WORK    AND    WIN; 

OR, 

NODDY    NEWMAN    ON    A    CRUISE. 


CHAP  T  E  R     I . 

THE    MISCHIEF-MAKERS. 

"  HEUE,  Noddy  Newman !  you  haven't  washed  out 
the  boat-house  yet,"  said  Ben,  the  boatman,  as  the 
young  gentleman  thus  addressed  was  ambling  down 
towards  the  river. 

"  Hang  the  boat-house  ! "  exclaimed  Noddy,  im 
patiently,  as  he  stopped  short  in  his  walk,  and  seemed 
to  be  in  doubt  whether  he  should  return  or  continue 
or*  his  way. 

"  You  know  what  Miss  Bertha  says  —  don't  you  ?" 

"  Yes,   I    know    what    she    says,"   added    Noddy, 


12  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

rubbing  his  head,  as  though  he  were  trying  to 
reconcile  his  present  purpose,  whatever  it  was,  with 
the  loyalty  he  owed  to  Bertha.  "  I  suppose  it  don't 
make  much  difference  to  her  whether  I  wash  out 
the  boat-house  now  or  by  and  by." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  that,  my  boy,"  said 
the  old  man.  "  Miss  Bertha  told  me  to  find  some 
regular  work  for  you  to  do  every  day.  I  found  it, 
and  she  says  you  must  wash  out  the  boat-house 
every  morning  before  nine  o'clock.  If  you  don't  do 
it,  I  shall  report  you  to  her.  That's  all  I've  got 
to  say  about  it." 

"  I  calculate  to  wash  out  the  boat-house." 

"  You've  only  half  an  hour  to  do  it  in,  then. 
You've  not  only  got  to  wash  it  out  every  morning, 
but  you  have  got  to  do  it  before  nine  o'clock. 
Them's  the  orders.  I  always  obey  orders.  If  Miss 
Bertha  should  tell  me  to  tie  you  up,  and  give  you  as 
big  a  licking  as  you  deserve,  I  should  do  it." 

"  No,  you  wouldn't." 

"  I  haven't  got  any  such  orders,  mind  ye,  Noddy ; 
so  we  won't  dispute  about  that.  Now,  go  and  wash 
out  the  boat-house  like  a  good  boy,  and  don't  make 
any  fuss  about  it." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  13 

Noddy  deliberated  a  few  moments  more.  He  evi 
dently  disliked  the  job,  or  did  not  wish  to  do  it  at 
that  particular  time  ;  but  Miss  Bertha's  influence  was 
all-powerful ;  and  though  he  would  have  fought,  tooth 
and  nail,  against  anything  like  compulsion  on  the 
part  of  Ben,  he  could  not  resist  the  potent  spell 
which  the  name  of  his  young  mistress  cast  upon 
him. 

"  Hang  the  old  boat-house ! "  exclaimed  he,  as  he 
stamped  his  foot  upon  the  ground,  and  then  slowly 
retraced  his  steps  towards  the  boatman. 

"  Hang  it,  if  you  like,  Noddy,  but  wash  it  out 
first,"  said  Ben,  with  a  smile,  as  he  observed  the 
effect  of  the  charm  he  had  used  to  induce  the  way 
ward  youth  to  do  his  duty. 

"  I  wish  the  boat-house  was  burned  up  !  "  added 
Noddy,  petulantly. 

"  No,  you  don't." 

"  Yes,  I  do.  I  wish  it  was  a  pile  of  ashes  at  this 
moment." 

"  Don't  say  so,  Noddy.  What  would  Miss  Bertha 
think  to  hear  you  talk  like  that  ?  " 

"  You  can  tell  her,  if  you  like,"  replied  Noddy,  as 
2 


14  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

he  rushed  desperately  into  the  boat-house  to  do  the 
disagreeable  job. 

Noddy  Newman  was  an  orphan ;  and  no  one  in  the 
vicinity  of  Woodville  even  knew  what  his  real  name 
was.  Two  years  before,  Bertha  Grant  had  taken  the 
most  tender  care  of  him,  after  an  accident  by  which 
he  had  been  severely  injured.  Previous  to  that  time 
he  had  been  a  vagabond,  roaming  about  the  woods 
and  the  villages,  sleeping  in  barns  and  out-buildings, 
and  stealing  his  food  when  he  could  obtain  it  by  no 
other  means.  Efforts  had  been  made  to  commit  him 
to  the  poorhouse ;  but  he  had  cunningly  avoided 
being  captured,  and  retained  his  freedom  until  the 
accident  placed  him  under  the  influence  of  Bertha 
Grant,  who  had  before  vainly  attempted  to  induce 
him  to  join  her  mission-school  in  the  Glen. 

Noddy  had  been  two  years  at  Woodville.  He  was 
neither  a  servant  nor  a  member  of  the  family,  but 
occupied  a  half-way  position,  eating  and  sleeping  with 
the  men  employed  on  the  estate,  but  being  the  con 
stant  companion  of  Bertha,  who  was  laboring  to 
civilize  and  educate  him.  She  had  been  partially 
successful  in  her  philanthropic  labors ;  for  Noddy 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  15 

knew  howv  to  behave  himself  with  propriety,  and 
could  read  and  write  with  tolerable  facility.  But 
books  and  literature  were  not  Noddy's  forte,  and  he 
still  retained  an  unhealthy  relish  for  his  early  vaga 
bond  habits. 

Like  a  great  many  other  boys,  —  even  like  some  of 
those  who  have  been  brought  up  judiciously  and  care 
fully,  —  Noddy  was  not  very  fond  of  work.  He  was 
bold  and  impulsive,  and  had  not  yet  acquired  any 
fixed  ideas  in  regard  to  the  objects  of  life.  Bertha 
Grant  had  obtained  a  powerful  influence  over  him,  to 
which  he  was  solely  indebted  for  all  the  progress  he 
had  made  in  learning  and  the  arts  of  civilized  life. 
Wayward  as  he  always  had  been,  and  as  he  still  was, 
there  was  a  spirit  in  him  upon  which  to  build  a  hope 
that  something  might  yet  be  made  of  him,  though 
this  faith  was  in  a  great  measure  confined  to  Bertha 
and  the  old  boatman. 

He  had  a  great  many  good  qualities  —  enough,  in 
the  opinion  of  his  gentle  instructress,  to  redeem  him 
from  his  besetting  sins,  which  were  neither  few  nor 
small.  He  was  generous,  which  made  him  popular 
among  those  who  were  under  no  moral  responsibility 


16  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

for  his  future  welfare.  He  was  bold  and  daring,  and 
never  hesitated  to  do  anything  which  the  nerve  or 
muscle  of  a  boy  of  fourteen  could  achieve.  His  feats 
of  strength  and  daring,  often  performed  from  mere 
bravado,  won  the  admiration  of  the  thoughtless,  and 
Noddy  was  regarded  as  a  "  character"  by  people  who 
only  wanted  to  be  amused. 

Noddy  had  reached  an  age  when  the  future  became 
an  interesting  problem  to  those  who  had  labored  to 
improve  his  manners  and  his  morals.  Mr.  Grant  had 
suggested  to  Bertha  the  propriety  of  having  him 
bound  as  an  apprentice  to  some  steady  mechanic ; 

t 

and,  at  the  time  of  our  story,  she  and  her  father  were 
in  search  of  such  a  person.  IVie  subject  of  this  kind 
solicitude  did  not  relish  the  idea  of  learning  a  trade, 
though  he  had  not  positively  rebelled  at  the  disposi 
tion  which  it  was  proposed  to  make  of  him, 

He  had  always  lived  near  the  river ;  and  during  his 
residence  at  Woodville  he  had  been  employed,  so  far 
as  h<2  could  be  employed  at  all,  about  the  boats.  He 
was  a  kind  of  assistant  to  the  boatman,  though  there 
was  no  need  of  such  an  official  on  the  premises.  For 
hi?  own  good,  rather  than  for  the  labor  he  performed, 


NENVM.VN     ON     A.     CRUISE.  17 

he  was  required  to  do  certain  work  about  the  boat- 
house,  and  in  the  boats  when  they  were  in  use. 

We  could  recite  a  great  many  scrapes,  of  which 
Noddy  had  been  the  hero,  during  the  two  years  of  his 
stay  at  Woodville  ;  but  such  a  recital  would  hardly 
be  profitable  to  our  readers,  especially  as  the  young 
man's  subsequent  career  was  not  devoid  of  stirring 
incidents. 

Noddy  drew  a  bucket  of  water  at  the  pier,  and  car 
ried  it  into  the  boat-house.  Ben,  satisfied  now  that 
the  work  was  actually  in  progress,  left  the  pier,  and 
walked  up  to  the  house  to  receive  his  morning  in 
structions.  He  was  hardly  out  of  sight  before  Miss 
Fanny  Grant  presented  herself  at  the  door. 

Miss  Fanny  was  now  a  nice  young  lady  of  twelve. 
She  was  as  different  from  her  sister  Bertha  as  she 
could  be.  She  was  proud,  and  rather  wayward. 
Like  some  other  young  ladies  we  have  somewhere 
read  about,  she  was  very  fond  of  having  her  own 
way,  even  when  her  own  way  had  been  proved  to  be 
uncomfortable  and  dangerous.  But  when  we  mention 
Miss  Fanny's  faults,  we  do  not  wish  to  be  understood 
that  she  had  no  virtues.  If  she  did  wrong  very  often, 
2* 


18  WOKK     AND     WINV     OR 

she  did  right  in  the  main,  and  had  made  a  great  deal 
of  progress  in  learning  to  do  wisely  and  well,  and, 
what  was  just  as  good,  in  doing  it  after  she  had 
learned  it. 

Fanny  Grant  walked  up  to  the  boat-house  with  a 
very  decided  step,  and  it  soon  appeared  that  she  was 
not  there  by  chance  or  accident ;  which  leads  us  sor 
rowfully  to  remark,  that  in  her  wrong  doing  she  often 
found  a  ready  companion  and  supporter  in  Noddy 
Newman.  She  was  rather  inclined  to  be  a  romp ; 
and  though  she  was  not  given  to  "  playing  with  the 
boys,"  the  absence  of  any  suitable  playmate  some 
times  led  her  to  invite  the  half-reformed  vagabond 
of  Woodville  to  assist  in  her  sport. 

"  You  are  a  pretty  fellow,  Noddy  Newman ! "  said 
she,  her  pouting  1'ps  giving  an  added  emphasis  to  her 
reproachful  remark.  "  Why  didn't  you  come  down 
to  the  Point,  as  you  said  you  would  ? " 

"  Because  I  couldn't,  Miss  Fanny,"  growled  Nod 
dy.  "  I  had  to  wash  out  this  confounded  boat-house, 
or  be  reported  to  Miss  Bert!) a." 

"  Couldn't  you  do  that  after  you  got  back  ? " 

44  Ben   said   I   must   do   it  before  nine  o'clock.     I 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CBUISE.  19 

wanted  to  go  down  to  the  Point,  as  I  agreed,  but  you 
see  I  couldn't." 

"  I  waited  for  you  till  I  got  tired  out,"  pouted 
Fanny ;  but  she  neglected  to  add  that  live  minutes  on 
ordinary  occasions  were  the  full  limit  of  her  patience. 

"  Hang  the  old  boat-house  !  I  told  Ben  I  wished 
it  was  burned  up." 

"So  do  I ;  but  come  along,  Noddy.  We  will  go 
now." 

"  I  can't  go  till  I've  washed  out  the  boat-house." 

"  Yes,  you  can." 

"  But  if  Ben  comes  down  and  finds  the  place  hasn't 
been  washed  out,  he  will  tell  Miss  Bertha." 

*'  Let  him  tell  her  —  who  cares  ?  " 

"  She  will  talk  to  me  for  an  hour."' 

"  Let  her  talk  —  talking  won't  kill  you." 

"  I  don't  like  to  be  talked  to  in  that  way  by  Miss 
Bertha." 

"  Fiddle-de-deo !  You  can  tell  her  I  wanted 
you,''  said  Fanny,  her  eyes  snapping  with  earnest 
ness. 

"  Shall  I  tell  her  what  you  wanted  me  for  ? "  asked 
Noddy,  with  a  cunning  look. 


20  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Of  course  jou  needn't  tell  her  that.  But  come 
along,  or  I  shall  go  without  you." 

"No —  yOU  wouldn't  do  that,  Miss  Fanny.  You 
couldn't." 

"  Well,  won't  you  come  ?  " 

"  Not  now." 

"  I  can't  wait." 

"  1  will  go  just  as  soon  as  I  have  done  washing  the 
boat-house." 

"  Plague  on  the  boat-house  !  "  snapped  Fanny.  "  I 
wish  it  was  burned  up.  What  a  nice  fire  it  would 
make  !  —  wouldn't  it,  Noddy  ?  " 

The  bright  eyes  of  the  wayward  miss  sparkled 
with  delight  as  she  thought  of  the  blazing  building  ; 
and  while  her  more  wayward  companion  described  the 
miseries  which  he  daily  endured  in  his  regular  work, 
she  hardly  listened  to  him.  She  seemed  to  be  plot 
ting  mischief;  but  if  she  was,  she  did  not  make 
Noddy  her  confidant  this  time. 

"  Come,  Noddy,"  said  she,  after  a  few  moments' 
reflection,  "  I  will  promise  to  make  it  all  right  with 
Bertha." 

Noddy    dropped    the    broom    with    which    he    had 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUTSE.  21 

begun  to  sweep  up  some  chips  and  shavings  Ben 
had  made  in  repairing  a  hoat-hook. 

"  If  you  will  get  me  out  of  the  scrape,  1  will  ga 
now,"  said  he. 

"  I  will ;  you  may  depend  upon  me." 

"  Then  I  will  go." 

"  Where  is  Ben,  now  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  up  to  the  house." 

"  Then  you  run  down  to  the  Point,  and  bring  the 
boat  up  to  the  pier.  I  am  tired,  and  don't  want  to 
walk  down  there  again." 

Noddy  was  entirely  willing,  and  bounded  off  like  a 
deer,  for  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind  to  disobey 
orders,  and  his  impulsive  nature  did  not  permit  him 
to  consider  the  consequences.  He  was  absent  but  a 
few  moments,  and  presently  appeared  rowing  a  small 
boat  up  the  river.  At  the  pier  he  turned  the  boat, 
and  backed  her  up  to  the  landing  steps. 

"  All  ready,  Miss  Fanny  !  "  shouted  the  young  boat 
man,  for  his  companion  in  mischief  was  not  in 
sight. 

Still  she  did  not  appear ;  and  Noddy  was  about  to 


22  WOUK     AND     WIN,     OK 

go  in  search  of  her,  when  she  came  out  of  the  boat- 
house,  and  ran  down  to  the  steps.  Her  face  was 
flushed,  and  she  seemed  to  be  very  much  agitated. 
Noddy  was  afraid,  from  her  looks,  that  something  had 
happened  to  spoil  the  anticipated  sport  of  the  morn 
ing  ;  but  she  stepped  into  the  boat,  and  told  him,  in 
hurried  tones,  to  push  off. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Miss  Fanny  ? "  he  asked,  not 
a  little  startled  by  her  appearance. 

"  Nothing,  Noddy ;  pull  away  just  as  fast  as  ever 
you  can." 

"  Are  we  caught  ? "  said  he,  as  he  followed  Fan 
ny's  direction. 

"  No ;  caught !  no.  Why  don't  you  row  faster, 
Noddy  ?  You  don't  pull  worth  a  cent." 

"  I  am  pulling  as  hard  as  I  can,"  replied  he,  un 
able  to  keep  pace  with  her  impatience. 

"I  wouldn't  be  seen  here  now  for  anything!" 
exclaimed  Fanny,  earnestly,  as  she  glanced  back  at 
the  boat-house,  with  a  look  so  uneasy  that  it  almost 
unmanned  her  resolute  companion. 

Noddy  pulled  with  all  his  might,  and  the  light  boat 


NODD7     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE. 

over  the  waves  with  a  speed  which  ought  to 
have  satisfied  his  nervous  passenger.  As  they  reached 
the  point  of  Van  Alstine's  Island,  a  dense  smoke  was 
seen  to  rise  from  the  boat-house  on  the  pier ;  and  a 
few  moments  later,  the  whole  building  was  wrapped 
in  flames. 


24  WORK     AND    WIN,    OB 


CHAPTER     II. 

THE     CIRCUS     AT     WHITESTONE. 

"Do  you  see  that  ? "  exclaimed  Noddy,  as  he 
stopped  rowing,  and  gazed  at  the  flames  which  leaped 
madly  up  from  the  devoted  building. 

"  I  sec  it,"  replied  Fanny,  with  even  more  agitation 
than  was  manifested  by  her  companion. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  added  Noddy. 

"  The  boat-house  is  on  fire,  and  will  burn  up  in 
a  few  minutes  more.  I  think  it  is  plain  enough ;  " 
and  Fanny  struggled  to  be  calm  and  indifferent. 

"  We  must  go  back  and  see  to  it." 

"  We  shall  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  Pull  away  as 
hard  as  ever  you  can,  or  we  shall  not  get  to  White- 
stone  in  season." 

"  I  don't  care  about  going  to  Whitestone  now;  I 
want  to  know  what  all  that  means." 

"  Can't  you  see  what  it  means  ?  The  boat-house 
is  on  fire." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  2& 

"  Well,  how  did  it  catch  afire  ?  That's  what 
bothers  me." 

"  You  needn't  bother  yourself  about  it.  My  father 
owns  the  boat-house,  and  it  isn't  worth  much." 

"  All  that  may  be ;  but  I  want  to  know  how  it  got 
afire." 

"  We  shall  find  out  soon  enough  when  we  return." 

"  But  I  want  to  know  now." 

"  You  can't  know  now ;  so  pull  away." 

'*  I  shall  have  the  credit  of  setting  that  fire,"  added 
Noddy,  not  a  little  disturbed  by  the  anticipation. 

"  No,  you  won't." 

"  Yes,  I  shall.  I  told  Ben  I  wished  the  boat-house 
would  catch  afire  and  burn  up.  Of  course  he  will 
lay  it  to  me." 

"  No  matter  if  he  does  ;  Ben  isn't  everybody." 

"  Well,  he  is  'most  everybody,  so  far  as  Miss  Ber 
tha  is  concerned  ;  and  I'd  rather  tumbled  overboard 
in  December  than  have  that  fire  happen  just  now." 

"  You  were  not  there  when  the  fire  broke  out," 
said  Fanny,  with  a  strong  effort  to  satisfy  her  boat 
man. 

"  That's  the  very  reason  why  they  will  lay  it  to  me. 
3 


26  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

They  will  say  I  set  the  boat-house  afire,  and  then  rar 
away  on  purpose." 

"  I  can  say  you  were  with  me  when  the  fire  broke 
out,  and  that  I  know  you  didn't  do  it,"  replied  Fanny. 

"  That  will  do  ;  but  I  would  give  all  my  old  shoes 
to  know  how  the  fire  took,  myself." 

"  No  matter  how  it  took.'' 

"  Yes,  it  is  matter,  Miss  Fanny.  I  want  to  know. 
There  wasn't  any  fire  in  the  building  when  I  left  it." 

"  Perhaps  somebody  stopped  there  in  a  boat,  and 
set  it  on  fire." 

"  Perhaps  they  did  ;  but  I  know  very  well  they 
didn't,"  answered  Noddy,  positively.  "  There  hasn't 
been  any  boat  near  the  pier  since  we  left  it." 

"  Perhaps  Ben  left  his  pipe  among  those  shavings." 

"  Ben  never  did  that.  He  would  cut  his  head  off 
sooner  than  do  such  a  thing.  He  is  as  scared  of  fire 
as  he  is  of  tlve  Flying  Dutchman." 

"  Don't  say  anything  more  about  it.  Now  row 
over  to  Whitestone  as  quick  as  you  can,"  added  Fan 
ny,  petulantly. 

"  I'm  not  going  over  to  Whitestone,  after  what  has 
happened.  I  shouldn't  have  a  bit  of  fun  if  I  went." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  27 

"  Very  well,  Noddy ;  then  you  may  get  out  of  the 
scrape  as  you  can,"  said  the  young  lady,  angrily. 

"  What  scrape  ?  " 

"  Why,  they  will  accuse  you  of  setting  the  boat- 
house  afire  ;  and  you  told  Ben  you  wished  it  was 
burned  down." 

"  But  I  didn't  set  it  afire." 

"  Who  did,  then  ? " 

"  That's  just  what  I  want  to  find  out.  That's  what 
worries  me  ;  for  I  can't  sec  how  it  happened,  unless 
it  took  fire  from  that  bucket  of  water  I  left  on  the 
floor." 

Fanny  was  too  much  disturbed  by  the  conduct  of 
her  boatman,  or  by  some  other  circumstance,  to  laugh 
at  Noddy's  joke ;  and  the  brilliant  sally  was  permit 
ted  to  waste  itself  without  an  appreciative  smile.  She 
sat  looking  at  the  angry  flames  as  they  devoured  the 
building,  while  her  companion  vainly  attempted  to  hit 
upon  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  cause  of  the 
fire.  Noddy  was  perplexed  ;  he  was  absolutely  wor 
ried,  not  so  much  by  the  probable  consequences  to 
himself  of  the  unfortunate  event,  as  by  the  cravings 
of  his  own  curiosity.  He  did  not  see  how  it  hap- 


28  WOHK     AXD     WIN,     OB 

pened;  and  if  a  potent  juggler  had  performed  a 
wonderful  feat  in  his  presence,  he  could  not  have 
been  more  exercised  in  mind  to  know  how  it  was 
done. 

Noddy  was  neither  a  logician  nor  a  philosopher ; 
and  therefore  he  was  utterly  unable  to  account  for 
the  origin  of  the  fire.  In  vain  he  wasted  his  intel 
lectual  powers  in  speculations  ;  in  vain  he  tried  to 
remember  some  exciting  cause  to  which  the  calamity 
could  be  traced.  Meanwhile,  Miss  Fanny  was  delib 
erating  quite  as  diligently  over  another  question ;  for 
she  apparently  regarded  the  destruction  of  the  boat- 
house  as  a  small  affair,  and  did  not  concern  herself 
to  know  how  it  had  been  caused.  But  she  was  very 
anxious  to  reach  Whitestone  before  ten  o'clock,  and 
her  rebellious  boatman  had  intimated  his  intention 
not  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  agreement. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about,  Noddy5"  asked 
she,  when  both  had  maintained  silence  for  the 
full  space  of  three  minutes,  which  was  a  longer 
period  than  either  of  them  had  ever  before  kept  still 
while  awake. 

"  I    was    thinking   of    that   fire,"    replied   Noddy, 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  1>(J 

removing  his   gaze   from   the   burning  building,    and 
fixing  it  upon  her. 

"  Are  you  going  to  Whitestonc,  or  not  ? "  con 
tinued  she,  impatiently. 

"  No ;  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Whitcstone,  while 
all  of  them  down  there  are  talking  about  me,  and 
saying  I  set  the  boat-house  afire." 

"  They  will  believe  you  did  it,  too." 

"  But  I  didn't,  Miss  Fanny.     You  know  I  didn't." 

"  How  should  I  know  it  ? " 

"  Because  I  was  with  you  ;  besides,  you  came  out 
of  the  boat-house  after  I  did." 

"  If  you  will  row  me  over  to  Whitestone,  I  will 
say  so ;  and  I  will  tell  them  I  know  you  didn't  do  it." 

Noddy  considered  the  matter  for  a  moment,  and, 
perhaps  concluding  that  it  was  safer  for  him  to  keep 
on  the  right  side  of  Miss  Fanny,  he  signified  his 
acceptance  of  the  terms  by  taking  up  his  oars,  and 
pulling  towards  Whitestone.  But  he  was  not  sat 
isfied  ;  he  was  as  uneasy  as  a  fish  out  of  water ; 
and  nothing  but  the  tyranny  of  the  wayward  young 
lady  in  the  boat  would  have  induced  him  to  flee 
irom  the  trouble  which  was  brewing  at  Woodville 
3* 


30  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

He  had  quite  lost  sight  of  the  purpose  which  had 
induced  him  to  disobey  Bertha's  orders. 

Our  young  adventurers  had  not  left  Woodville 
without  an  object.  There  was  a  circus  at  White- 
stone  —  a  travelling  company  which  had  advertised 
to  give  three  grand  performances  on  that  day.  Miss 
Fanny  wanted  to  go  ;  but,  either  because  her  father 
was  otherwise  occupied,  or  because  he  did  not  ap 
prove  of  circuses,  he  had  declined  to  go  with  her. 
Bertha  did  not  want  to  go,  and  also  had  an  en 
gagement. 

Fanny  had  set  her  heart  upon  going ;  and  she 
happened  to  be  too  wilful,  just  at  that  period,  to 

i 

submit  to  the  disappointment  to  which  her  father's 
convenience  or  his  principles  doomed  her.  Bertha 
had  gone  to  the  city  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morn 
ing  to  spend  the  day  with  a  friend,  and  Fanny 
decided  that  she  would  go  to  the  circus,  in  spite 
of  all  obstacles,  and  in  the  face  of  her  father's 
implied  prohibition.  When  she  had  proceeded  far 
enough  to  rebel,  in  her  own  heart,  against  the  will 
of  her  father,  the  rest  of  the  deed  was  easily  ac 
complished. 


IsODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  31 

Noddy  had  never  been  to  a  circus ;  and  when 
Fanny  told  him  what  it  was,  —  how  men  rode  stand 
ing  up  on  their  horses ;  how  they  turned  somersets, 
and  played  all  sorts  of  antics  on  the  tight  rope  and 
the  slack  rope ;  and,  above  all,  what  funny  things 
the  clowns  said  and  did,  —  he  was  quite  ready  to  do 
almost  anything  to  procure  so  rare  a  pleasure  as 
witnessing  such  a  performance  must  afford  him.  It 
did  not  require  any  persuasion  to  induce  him  to 
assist  Fanny  in  her  disobedience.  The  only  obstacle 
which  had  presented  itself  was  his  morning  work 
in  the  boat-house,  which  Bertha's  departure  for  the 
city  had  prevented  him  from  doing  at  an  earlier 
hour. 

To  prevent  Ben  from  suspecting  that  they  were 
on  the  water,  in  case  they  should  happen  to  be 
missed,  he  had  borrowed  a  boat  and  placed  it  at 
the  Point,  where  they  could  embark  without  being 
seen,  if  Ben  or  any  of  the  servants  happened  to 
be  near  the  pier.  The  boatman,  who  made  it  his 
business  to  see  that  Noddy  did  his  work  on  time  in 
the  morning,  did  not  neglect  his  duty  on  this  oc 
casion  ;  and  when  Noddy  started  to  meet  Fanny  at 


32  WORK     AND     WIN,     OE 

the  appointed  place,  he  had  been  called  back,  as 
described  in  the  first  chapter. 

As  he  pulled  towards  Whitestone,  he  watched  the 
flames  that  rose  from  the  boat-house  ;  and  he  had, 
for  the  time,  lost  all  his  enthusiasm  about  the  circus. 
He  could  think  only  of  the  doubtful  position  in 
which  his  impulsive  words  to  the  boatman  placed 
him.  Above  all  things,  —  and  all  his  doubts  and 
fears  culminated  in  this  point,  —  what  would  Miss 
Bertha  say  ?  He  did  not  care  what  others  said, 
except  so  far  as  their  words  went  to  convince  his 
mistress  of  his  guilt.  What  would  she  do  to 
him? 

But,  after  all  had  been  said  and  done,  he  was 
not  guilty.  He  had  not  set  the  boat-house  on  fire, 
and  he  did  not  even  know  who  had  done  the  ma 
licious  act.  Noddy  regarded  this  as  a  very  happy 
thought;  and  while  the  reflection  had  a  place  in  his 
mind,  he  pulled  the  oars  with  redoubled  vigor.  Yet 
it  was  in  vain  for  him  to  rely  upon  the  voice  of 
an  approving  conscience  for  peace  in  that  hour  of 
trouble.  If  he  had  not,  at  that  moment,  been  en 
gaged  in  an  act  of  disobedience,  he  might  have 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  33 

been  easy.  He  had  been  strictly  forbidden  by  Mr. 
Grant,  and  by  Bertha,  ever  to  take  Fanny  out  in 
a  boat  without  permission  ;  and  Miss  Fanny  had 
been  as  strictly  forbidden  to  go  with  him,  or  with 
any  of  the  servants,  without  the  express  consent, 
each  time,  of  her  father  or  of  Bertha. 

It  is  very  hard,  while  doing  wrong  in  one  thing, 
to  enjoy  an  approving  conscience  in  another  thing ; 
and  Noddy  found  it  so  in  the  present  instance. 
We  do  not  mean  to  say  that  Noddy's  conscience 
was  of  any  great  account  to  him,  or  that  the 
inward  monitor  caused  his  present  uneasiness.  He 
had  a  conscience,  but  his  vagabond  life  had  de 
moralized  it  in  the  first  place,  and  it  had  not  been 
sufficiently  developed,  during  his  stay  at  WoodviHe, 
to  abate  very  sensibly  his  anticipated  pleasure  at 
the  circus.  His  uneasiness  was  entirely  selfish.  He 
had  got  into  a  scrape,  whose  probable  consequences 
worried  him  more  than  his  conscience. 

By  the  time  the  runaways  reached  Whitestone, 
the  boat-house  was  all  burned  up,  and  nothing  but 
the  curling  smoke  from  the  ruins  visibly  reminded 
the  transgressors  of  the  event  which  had  disturbed 


34  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

them.  Securing  the  boat  in  a  proper  place,  Noddy 
conducted  the  young  lady  to  the  large  tent  in  which 
the  circus  company  performed,  and  which  was  more 
than  a  mile  from  the  river.  Fanny  gave  him  the 
money,  and  Noddy  purchased  two  tickets,  which 
admitted  them  to  the  interior  of  the  tent. 

If  Noddy  had  been  entirely  at  ease  about  the 
affair  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  no  doubt  he 
would  have  enjoyed  the  performance  very  much ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  the  "  grand  entree  of  all  the 
horses  and  riders  of  the  troupe,"  the  sorrowing  face 
of  Bertha  Grant  thrust  itself  between  him  and  the 
horsemen,  to  obscure  his  vision  and  diminish  the 
cheap  glories  of  the  gorgeous  scene.  When  "  the 
most  daring  rider  in  the  world "  danced  about,  like 
a  top,  on  the  bare  back  of  his  "  fiery,  untamed 
steed,"  Noddy  was  enthusiastic,  and  would  have 
given  a  York  shilling  for  the  privilege  of  trying  to 
do  it  himself. 

The  "  ground  and  lofty  tumbling,"  with  the  ex 
ception  of  the  spangled  tunics  of  the  performers, 
hardly  came-  up  to  his  expectations ;  and  he  was 
entirely  satisfied  that  he  could  beat  the  best  man 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  35 

among  them  at  such  games.  As  the  performance 
proceeded,  he  warmed  up  enough  to  forget  the  fire, 
and  ceased  to  dread  the  rebuke  of  Bertha ;  but 
when  all  was  over,  —  when  the  clown  had  made 
his  last  wry  face,  and  the  great  American  acrobat 
had  achieved  his  last  gyration,  Bertha  and  the  fire 
came  back  to  him  with  increased  power.  Moody 
and  sullen,  he  walked  down  to  the  river  with  Fan 
ny,  who,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  have 
been  too  proud  to  walk  through  the  streets  of 
Whitestone  with  him.  If  he  had  been  alone,  it  is 
quite  probable  that  he  would  have  taken  to  the 
woods,  so  much  did  he  dread  to  return  to  Wood- 
ville. 

He  pushed  off  the  boat,  and  for  some  time  he 
pulled  in  silence,  for  Miss  Fanny  now  appeared  to 
have  her  own  peculiar  trials.  Her  conscience 
seemed  to  have  found  a  voice,  and  she  did  not 
speak  till  the  boat  had  reached  the  lower  end  of 
Van  Alstine's  Island. 

"  The  fire  is  all  out  now,"  said  she. 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  would  give  a  thousand  dollars  to 
know  how  it  caught,"  added  Noddy. 


36  WORK     AND    WIN,     OR 

"  I  know,"  continued  Fanny,  looking  down  into 
the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

"  Who  did  it  ? "    demanded  Noddy,  eagerly. 

"  I  did  it  myself,"  answered  Fanny,  looking  up 
into  his  face  to  note  the  effect  of  the  astounding 
confession. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  37 


CHAPTER     III. 

A     MORAL     QUESTION. 

NODDY  dropped  his  oars,  and,  with  open  mouth 
and  staring  eyes,  gazed  fixedly  in  silence  at  his 
gentle  companion,  who  had  so  far  outstripped  him 
in  making  mischief  as  to  set  fire  to  a  building.  It 
was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  found  it  impossible 
to  comprehend  the  depravity  of  Miss  Fanny.  He 
would  not  have  dared  to  do  such  a  thing  himself,  and 
it  was  impossible  to  believe  that  she  had  done  so 
tremendous  a  deed. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  he ;  and  the  words 
burst  from  him  with  explosive  force,  as  soon  as  he 
could  find  a  tongue  to  express  himself. 

"  I  did,"  replied  Fanny,  gazing  at  him  with  a  kind 
of  blank  look,  which  would  have  assured  a  more  ex 
pert  reader  of  the  human  face  than  Noddy  Newman 
that  she  had  come  to  a  realizing  sense  of  the  magni 
tude  of  the  mischief  she  had  done. 
4 


38  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  No,  you  didn't,  Miss  Fanny  !  "  exclaimed  her  in 
credulous  friend.  "  I  know  you  didn't  do  that ;  you 
couldn't  do  it." 

"  But  I  did ;  I  wouldn't  say  I  did  if  I  didn't." 

"Well,  that  beats  me  all  to  pieces  !  "  added  Noddy, 
bending  forward  in  his  seat,  and  looking  sharply  into 
her  face,  in  search  of  any  indications  that  she  was 
making  fun  of  him,  or  was  engaged  in  perpetrating 
a  joke. 

Certainly  there  were  no  indications  of  a  want  of 
seriousness  on  the  part  of  the  wayward  young  lady ; 
on  the  contrary,  she  looked  exceedingly  troubled. 
Noddy  could  not  say  a  word,  and  he  was  busily  oc 
cupied  in  trying  to  get  through  his  head  the  stupen 
dous  fact  that  Miss  Fanny  had  become  an  incendiary ; 
that  she  was  wicked  enough  to  set  fire  to  her  father's 
building.  It  required  a  good  deal  of  labor  and  study 
on  the  part  of  so  poor  a  scholar  as  Noddy  to  compre 
hend  the  idea.  He  had  always  looked  upon  Fanny 
as  Bertha's  sister.  His  devoted  benefactress  was  an 
angel  in  his  estimation,  and  it  was  as  impossible  ior 
her  to  do  anything  wrong  as  it  was  for  water  to  run 
up  hill. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CUTJISE.  39 

If  Bertha  was  absolutely  perfect,  —  as  he  meas 
ured  human  virtue,  —  it  was  impossible  that  her 
sister  should  be  very  far  below  her  standard.  He 
knew  that  she  was  a  little  wild  and  wayward,  but  it 
was  beyond  his  comprehension  that  she  should  do 
anything  that  was  really  "  naughty."  Fanny's  con 
fession,  when  he  realized  that  it  was  true,  gave  him 
a  shock  from  which  he  did  not  soon  recover.  One 
of  his  oars  had  slipped  overboard  without  his  notice, 
and  the  other  might  have  gone  after  it,  if  his  com 
panion  had  not  reminded  him  where  he  was,  and 
what  he  ought  to  do.  Paddling  the  boat  round  with 
one  oar,  he  recovered  the  other  ;  but  he  had  no  clear 
idea  of  the  purpose  for  which  such  implements  were 
intended,  and  he  permitted  the  boat  to  drift  with  the 
tide,  while  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  consideration 
of  the  difficult  and  trying  question  which  the  conduct 
of  Fanny  imposed  upon  him. 

Noddy  was  not  selfish  ;  and  if  the  generous  vein 
of  his  nature  had  been  well  balanced  and  fortified 
by  the  corresponding  virtues,  his  character  would 
have  soared  to  the  region  of  the  noble  and  grand  in 
human  nature.  But  the  generous  in  character  is 


40  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

hardly  worthy  of  respect,  though  it  may  challenge 
the  admiration  of  the  thoughtless,  unless  it  rests 
upon  the  sure  foundation  of  moral  principle.  Noddy 
forgot  his  own  trials  in  sympathizing  with  the  un 
pleasant  situation  of  his  associate  in  wrong  doing, 
and  his  present  thought  was  how  he  should  get  her 
out  of  the  scrape.  He  was  honestly  willing  to  sacri 
fice  himself  for  her  sake.  While  he  was  faithfully 
considering  the  question,  in  the  dim  light  of  his  own 
moral  sense,  Miss  Fanny  suddenly  burst  into  tears, 
and  cried  with  a  violence  and  an  unction  which  were 
a  severe  trial  to  his  nerves. 

"  Don't  cry,  Fanny,"  said  he  ;  "  I'll  get  you  out  of 
the  scrape." 

"  I  don't  want  to  get  out  of    it,"   sobbed   she. 

Now,  this  was  the  most  paradoxical  reply  which 
the  little  maiden  could  possibly  have  made,  and 
Noddy  was  perplexed  almost  beyond  the  hope  of 
redemption.  What  in  the  world  was  she  crying 
about,  if  she  did  not  wish  to  get  out  of  the  scrape  ? 
What  could  make  her  cry  if  it  was  not  the  fear  of 
consequences  —  of  punishment,  and  of  the  mean 
opinion  which  her  friends  would  have  of  her,  when 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CKUlSE.  41 

they  found  out  that  she  was  wicked  enough  to  set  a 
building  on  fire  ?  Noddy  asked  no  questions,  for  he 
could  not  frame  one  which  would  cover  so  intricate  a 
matter. 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  be  punished  for  what  I 
have  done,*'  added  Fanny,  to  whose  troubled  heart 
speech  was  the  only  vent. 

**  What  are  you  crying  for  ? "  asked  the  bewildered 
Noddy. 

44  Because  —  because  I  did  it,"  replied  she  ;  and 
her  choked  utterance  hardly  permitted  her  to  speak 
the  words. 

"  Well,  Miss  Fanny,  you  are  altogether  ahead  of 
my  time  ;  and  I  don't  know  what  you  mean.  If  you 
cry  about  it  now,  what  did  you  do  it  for? " 

"  Because  I  was  wicked  and  naughty.  If  I  had 
thought  only  a  moment,  I  shouldn't  have  done  it.  I 
am  so  sorry  I  did  it !  I  would  give  the  world  if  I 
hadn't." 

"  What  will  they  do  to  you  : "  asked  Noddy,  whose 
fear  of  consequences  had  not  yet  given  place  to  a 
higher  view  of  the  matter. 

"  I  don't  care  what  they  do ;  I  deserve  the  worst 
4* 


42  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

they  can  do.  How  shall  I  look  Bertha  and  my  father 
in  the  face  when  I  see  them  ?  " 

"  O,  hold  your  head  right  up,  and  look  as  bold  as  a 
lion  —  as  bold  as  two  lions,  if  the  worst  comes." 

"  Don't  talk  so,  Noddy.  You  make  me  feel  worse 
than  I  did." 

"  What  in  the  world  ails  you,  Miss  Fanny  ? "  de 
manded  Noddy,  grown  desperate  by  the  perplexities 
of  the  situation. 

"  I  am  so  sorry  I  did  such  a  wicked  thing !  I  shall 
go  to  Bertha  and  my  father,  and  tell  them  all  about 
it,  as  soon  as  they  come  home,"  added  Fanny,  as  she 
wiped  away  her  tears,  and  appeared  to  be  much  com 
forted  by  the  good  resolution,  which  was  certainly 
the  best  one  the  circumstances  admitted. 

"Are  you  going  to  do  that?"  exclaimed  Noddy, 
astonished  at  the  declaration. 

"  I  am." 

"  And  get  me  into  a  scrape  too  !  They  won't  let 
me  off  as  easy  as  they  do  you.  I  shall  be  sent  off 
to  learn  to  be  a  tinker,  or  a  blacksmith." 

"  You  didn't  set  the  boat-house  on  fire,  Noddy. 
It  wasn't  any  of  your  doings,"  said  Fanny,  somewhat 
disturbed  by  this  new  complication. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  43 

"You  wouldn't  have  done  it,  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
me.  I  told  you  what  I  said  to  Ben  —  that  I  wished 
the  boat-house  was  burned  up  ;  and  that's  what  put 
it  into  your  head/' 

"Well,   you  didn't  do  it." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  I  shall  have  to  bear  all  the 
blame  of  it." 

Noddy's  moral  perceptions  were  strong  enough  to 
enable  him  to  see  that  he  was  not  without  fault  in 
the  matter ;  and  he  was  opposed  to  Fanny's  making 
the  intended  confession  of  her  guilt. 

"  I  will  keep  you  out  of  trouble,  Noddy,''  said  she, 
kindly. 

"  You  can't  do  it ;  when  you  own  up,  you  will  sink 
me  to  the  bottom  of  the  river.  Besides,  you  are  a 
fowl  to  do  any  such  thing,  Miss  Fanny.  What  do 
you  want  to  say  a  word  about  it  for  ?  Ben  will  think 
some  fellow  landed  from  the  river,  and  set  the  boat- 
house  on  fire." 

*'  I  must  do  it,  Noddy,"  protested  she.  "  I  shall 
not  have  a  moment's  peace  till  I  confess.  I  shall 
not  dare  to  look  father  and  Bertha  in  the  face  if  I 
don't." 


44  WORK     AND     WIN,     OE 

"  You  won't  if  you  do.  How  are  they  going  to 
know  anything  about  it,  if  you  don't  tell  them?" 

"  Well,   they  will  lay   it  to   you   if  I  don't." 

"  Xo  matter  if  they  do ;  I  didn't  do  it,  and  I  can 
say  so  truly,  and  they  will  believe  me." 

"  But  how  shall  I  feel  all  the  time  ?  I  shall  know 
who  did  it,  if  nobody  else  does.  I  shall  feel  mean 
and  guilty." 

"  You  won't  feel  half  so  bad  as  you  will  when  they 
look  at  you,  and  know  all  the  time  that  you  are 
guilty.  If  you  are  going  to  own  up,  I  shall  keep  out 
of  the  way.  You  won't  see  me  at  Woodville  again 
in  a  hurry." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Noddy  ? "  asked  Fanny, 
startled  by  the  strong  words  of  her  companion. 

"  That's  just  what  I  mean.  If  you  own  up,  they 
will  s  ly  that  I  made  you  do  it ;  and  I  had  enough 
sight  rather  bear  the  blame  of  setting  the  boat-house 
afire,  than  be  told  that  I  made  you  do  it.  I  can 
dirty  my  own  hands,  but  I  don't  like  the  idea  of 
dirtying  yours." 

"You  don't  mean  to  leave  Woodville,  Noddy?" 
asked  Fanny,  in  a  reproachful  tone. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  45 

"  If  you  own  up,  I  shall  not  go  back.  I've  been 
thinking  of  going  ever  since  they  talked  of  making 
a  tinker  of  me  ;  so  it  will  only  be  going  a  few  days 
sooner.  1  want  to  go  to  sea,  and  I  don't  want  to  be 
a  tinker." 

Fanny  gazed  into  the  water  by  the  side  of  the 
boat,  thinking  of  what  her  companion  had  said. 
She  really  did  not  think  she  ought  to  "  own  up," 
on  the  terms  which  Noddy  mentioned. 

"  If  you  are  sorry,  and  want  to  repent,  you 
can  do  all  that ;  and  I  will  give  you  my  solemn 
promise  to  be  as  good  as  you  are,  Miss  Fanny," 
said  Noddy,  satisfied  that  he  had  made  an  impres 
sion  upon  the  mind  of  his  wavering  companion. 

His  advice  seemed  to  be  sensible.  She  was  sorry 
she  had  done  wrong ;  she  could  repent  in  sorrow 
and  silence,  and  never  do  wrong  again.  Her  father 
and  her  sister  would  despise  her  if  they  "knew  she 
had  done  such  a  wicked  and  unladylike  thing  as  to 
set  the  boat-house  on  fire.  She  could  save  all  this 
pain  and  mortification,  and  repent  just  the  same. 
Besides,  she  could  not  take  upon  herself  the  respon 
sibility  of  driring  Xoddy  away  from  Woodville,  for 


46  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

that  would  cause  Bertha  a  great  deal  of  pain  and 
uneasiness. 

Fanny  had  not  yet  learned  to  do  right  though 
the  heavens  fall. 

"  Well,  I  won't  say  anything  about  it,  Noddy," 
said  she,  yielding  to  what  seemed  to  her  the  force 
of  circumstances. 

"  That's  right,  Fanny.  Now,  you  leave  the  whole 
thing  to  me,  and  I  will  manage  it  so  as  to  keep 
you  out  of  trouble ;  and  you  can  repent  and  be 
sorry  just  as  much  as  you  please,"  replied  Noddy, 
as  he  began  to  row  again.  "  There  is  nothing  to 
be  afraid  of.  Ben  will  never  know  that  we  have 
been  on  the  river." 

"  But  I  know  it  myself,"  said  the  conscience- 
stricken  maiden. 

"  Of    course  you  do  ;    what  of   that  ? " 

"If  I  didn't  know  it  myself,  I  should  feel  well 
enough." 

"  You  are  a  funny  girl." 

"  Don't  you  ever  feel  that  you  have  done  wrong. 
Noddy  ? " 

"  I  suppose  I  do ;  but  I  don't  make  any  such 
fuss  about  it  as  you  do." 


NODDY      XKWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  47 

"  You  w  ere  not  brought  up  by  a  kind  father  and 
a  loving  sister,  who  would  give  anything  rather  than 
have  you  do  wrong,"  said  Fanny,  beginning  to  cry 
again. 

"  There  !  don't  cry  any  more  ;  if  you  do,  you 
will  *  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag.'  I  am  going  to 
land  you  here  at  the  Glen.  You  can  take  a  walk 
there,  and  go  home  about  one  o'clock.  Then  you 
can  tell  the  folks  you  have  been  walking  in  the 
Glen  ;  and  it  will  be  the  truth." 

"  It  will  bo  just  as  much  a  lie  as  though  I  hadn't 
been*  there.  It  will  be  one  half  the  truth  told  to 
hide  the  other  half." 

This  was  rather  beyond  Noddy's  moral  philosophy, 
and  he  did  not  worry  himself  to  argue  the  point. 
He  pulled  up  to  the  landing-place  at  the  Glen, 
where  he  had  so  often  conveyed  Bertha,  and  near 
the  spot  where  lie  had  met  with  the  accident  which 
had  placed  him  under  her  kindly  care.  Fanny,  with 
a  heavy  heart  and  a  doubting  mind,  stepped  on 
shore,  and  walked  up  into  the  grove.  She  was 
burdened  with  grief  for  the  wrong  she  had  done, 
and  for  half  an  hour  she  wandered  about  the  beau- 


48  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

tiful  spot,  trying  to  compose  herself  enough  to  appear 
before  the  people  at  the  house.  When  it  was  too 
late,  she  wished  she  had  not  consented  to  Noddy's 
plan ;  but  the  fear  of  working  a  great  wrong  in 
driving  him  from  the  good  influences  to  which  he 
was  subjected  at  Woodville,  by  doing  right,  and  con 
fessing  her  error,  was  rather  comforting,  though  it 
did  not  meet  the  wants  of  her  case. 

In  season  for  dinner,  she  entered  the  house  with 
her  hand  full  of  wild  flowers,  which  grew  only  in 
the  Glen.  In  the  hall  she  met  Mrs.  Green,  the 
housekeeper,  who  looked  at  her  flushed  face,  and 
then  at  the  flowers  in  her  hand. 

"  We  have  been  wondering  where  you  were,  all 
the  forenoon,"  said  Mrs.  Green.  "  I  see  you  have 
been  to  the  Glen  by  the  flowers  you  have  in  your 
hand.  Did  you  know  the  boat-house  was  burned 
up?" 

"  I  saw  the  smoke  of   it,"  replied  Fanny. 

"It  is  the  strangest  thing  that  ever  happened. 
No  one  can  tell  how  it  took  fire." 

Fanny  made  no  reply,  and  the  housekeeper  has 
tened  away  to  attend  to  her  duties.  The  poor  girl 


\ 

NODDY    NEWMAN    ON    A    CRUISE.  4Q 

was  suffering  all  the  tortures  of  remorse  which  a 
wrong  act  can  awaken,  and  she  went  up  to  her 
room  with  the  feeling  that  she  did  not  wish  to  see 
another  soul  for  a  month. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Noddy  Newman,  presented 
himself  at  the  great  house,  laden  with  swamp  pinks, 
whose  fragrance  filled  the  air,  and  seemed  to  explain 
where  he  had  been  all  the  forenoon.  With  no  little 
flourish,  he  requested  Mrs.  Green  to  put  them  in  the 
vases  for  Bertha's  room;  for  his  young  mistress  was 
very  fond  of  these  sweet  blossoms.  He  appeared 
to  be  entirely  satisfied  with  himself;  and,  with  a 
branch  of  the  pink  in  his  hand,  he  left  the  house, 
and  walked  towards  the  servants'  quarters,  where, 
at  his  dinner,  he  met  Ben,  the  boatman. 
5 


50  WORK    AND     WIN,     OR 


CHAPTER     IV. 
NODDY'S    CONFESSION. 

THE  old  boatman  never  did  any  thing  as  other 
people  did  it ;  and  though  Noddy  had  put  on  the 
best  face  he  could  assume  to  meet  the  shock  of 
the  accusation  which  he  was  confident  would  be* 
brought  against  him,  Ben  said  not  a  word  about 
the  boat-house.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  aware  that 
it  had  been  burned.  He  ate  his  dinner  in  his 
usual  cheerful  frame  of  mind,  and  talked  of  swamp 
pinks,  suggested  by  the  branch  which  the  young, 
reprobate  had  brought  into  the  servants'  hall. 

Noddy  was  more  perplexed  than  he  had  been 
before  that  day.  Why  didn't  the  old  man  "  pitc>* 
into  him,"  and  accuse  him  of  kindling  the  fire  ? 
Why  didn't  he  get  angry,  as  he  did  sometimes,  am1 
call  him  a  young  vagabond,  and  threaten  to  horse 
whip  him  ?  Ben  talked  of  the  pinks,  of  the 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  51 

weather,  the  crops,  and  the  latest  news ;  but  he 
did  not  say  a  word  about  the  destruction  of  the 
boat-house,  or  Noddy's  absence  during  the  fore 
noon. 

After  dinner,  Noddy  followed  the  old  man  down 
to  the  pier  by  the  river  in  a  state  of  anxiety  which 
hardly  permitted  him  to  keep  up  the  cheerful  ex 
pression  he  had  assumed,  and  which  he  usually 
wore.  They  reached  the  smouldering  ruins  of  the 
building,  but  Ben  took  no  notice  of  it,  and  did 
not  allude  to  the  great  event  which  had  occurred. 
Noddy  was  inclined  to  doubt  whether  the  boat- 
house  had  been  burned  at  all ;  and  he  would  have 
rejected  the  fact,  if  the  charred  remains  of  the  house 
had  not  been  there  to  attest  it. 

Ben  hobbled  down  to  the  pier,  and  stepped  on 
board  of  the  Greyhound,  which  he  had  hauled  up 
to  the  shore  to  enable  him  to  make  some  repairs 
on  the  mainsail.  Noddy  followed  him  ;  but  he  grew 
more  desperate  at  every  step  he  advanced,  for  the 
old  man  still  most  provokingly  refused  to  say  a 
single  word  about  the  fire. 

"  Gracious  !  "    exclaimed   Noddy,    suddenly    start- 


52  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

ing  back  in  the  utmost  astonishment ;  for  he  had 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that  if  Ben  would  not  speak 
about  the  fire,  he  must. 

The  old  boatman  was  still  vicious,  and  refused 
even  to  notice  his  well-managed  exclamation.  Nod 
dy  thought  it  was  very  obstinate  of  Ben  not  to  say 
something,  and  offer  him  a  chance,  in  the  natural 
way,  to  prove  his  innocence. 

"  Why,  Ben,  the  boat-house  is  burned  up !  " 
shouted  Noddy,  determined  that  the  old  man  should 
have  no  excuse  for  not  speaking  about  the  fire. 

Ben  did  not  even  raise  his  eyes  from  the  work 
on  which  he  was  engaged.  He  was  adjusting  the 
palm  on  his  hand,  and  in  a  moment  began  to  sew 
as  though  nothing  had  happened,  and  no  one  was 
present  but  himself.  Noddy  was  fully  satisfied  now 
that  the  boatman  was  carrying  out  the  details  of 
some  plot  of  his  own. 

"  Ben !  "  roared  Noddy,  at  the  top  of  his  lungs, 
and  still  standing  near  the  ruins. 

"What  do  you  want,  Noddy?"  demanded  Ben, 
as  good-naturedly  as  though  everything  had  worked 
well  during  the  day. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  53 

"  The  boat-house  is  burned  up  ! "  screamed 
Noddy,  apparently  as  much  excited  as  though  he 
had  just  discovered  the  fact. 

Ben  made  no  reply,  which  was  another  evidence 
that  he  was  engaged  in  working  out  some  deep- 
laid  plot,  perhaps  to  convict  him  of  the  crime,  by 
some  trick.  Noddy  was  determined  not  to  be  con 
victed  if  he  could  possibly  help  it. 

"  Ben  !  "  shouted  he  again. 

"  Well,  Noddy,  what  is  it  ? " 

"Did  you  knoiv  the  boat-house  was  burned  up?" 

There  was  no  answer ;  and  Noddy  ran  down  to 
the  place  where  the  sail-boat  was  hauled  up.  He 
tried  to  look  excited  and  indignant,  and  perhaps 
he  succeeded ;  though,  as  the  old  man  preserved 
his  equanimity,  he  had  no  means  of  knowing  what 
impression  he  had  produced. 

"  Did  you  know  the  boat-house  was  burned 
up?"  repeated  Noddy,  opening  his  eyes  as  though 
he  had  made  a  discovery  of  the  utmost  impor 
tance. 

"  I  did,"    replied    Ben,  as  indifferently  as  though 
it  had  been  a  matter  of  no  consequence  whatever. 
5* 


54  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"Why  didn't   you  tell  me  about  it?"    demanded 
Noddy,  with  becoming  indignation. 

"  Because  I  decided  that  I  wouldn't  say  a  word 
about  it  to  any  person,"  answered  Ben. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  anything  to  say  about  it ;  so  you 
mustn't  ask  me  any  questions." 

"  Don't  you  know  how  it  caught  afire  ? "  per 
sisted  Noddy. 

"  I've  nothing  to  say  on  that  subject." 

Noddy  was  vexed  and  disheartened ;  but  he  felt 
that  it  would  not  be  prudent  to  deny  the  charge 
of  setting  it  on  fire  before  he  was  accused,  for 
that  would  certainly  convict  him.  The  old  man 
was  playing  a  deep  game,  and  that  annoyed  him 
still  more. 

"  So  you  won't  say  anything  about  it,  Ben  ? " 
added  he,  seating  himself  on  the  pier. 

"  Not  a  word,  Noddy." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  if  I  were  you,"  continued 
Noddy,  lightly. 

Ben  took  no  notice  of  this  sinister  remark,  thus 
exhibiting  a  presence  of  mind  which  completely 
balked  his  assailant. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  55 

"  I  understand  it  all,  Ben ;  and  I  don't  blame 
you  for  not  wanting  to  say  anything  about  it.  I 
suppose  you  will  own  up  when  Mr.  Grant  comes 
home  to-night." 

"  Don't  be  saucy,  Noddy,"  said  the  old  man, 
mildly. 

"  So  you  smoked  your  pipe  among  the  shav 
ings,  and  set  the  boat-house  afire  —  did  you,  Ben? 
"\Vell,  I  am  sorry  for  you,  you  are  generally  so 
careful ;  but  I  don't  believe  they  will  discharge 
you  for  it." 

Ben  was  as  calm  and  unruffled  as  a  summer 
sea.  Noddy  knew  that,  under  ordinary  circum 
stances,  the  boatman  would  have  come  down  upon 
him  like  a  north-east  gale,  if  he  had  dared  to  use 
such  insulting  language  to  him.  He  tried  him  on 
every  tack,  but  not  a  word  could  he  obtain  which 
betrayed  the  opinion  of  the  veteran,  in  regard  to 
the  origin  of  the  fire.  It  was  useless  to  resort  to 
any  more  arts,  and  he  gave  up  the  point  in  despair. 
All  the  afternoon  he  wandered  about  the  estate, 
and  could  think  of  nothing  but  the  unhappy  event 
of  the  morning.  Fanny  did  not  show  herself,  and 
he  had  no  opportunity  for  further  consultation. 


56  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 


About  six  o'clock  Bertha  returned  with  her  fa 
ther  ;  and  after  tea  they  walked  down  to  the  river. 
Fanny  complained  of  a  headache,  and  did  not  go 
with  them.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  she  was 
really  afflicted,  as  she  said ;  for  she  had  certainly 
suffered  enough  to  make  her  head  ache.  Of  course 
the  first  thing  that  attracted  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Grant  and  his  daughter  was  the  pile  of  charred 
timbers  that  indicated  the  place  where  the  boat- 
house  had  once  stood. 

"How  did  that  happen?"  asked  Mr.  Grant  of 
Ben,  who  was  on  the  pier. 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  happened,"  replied  the 
boatman,  who  had  found  his  tongue  now,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  give  his  employer  all  the  particulars  of 
the  destruction  of  the  building,  concluding  with 
Noddy's  energetic  exclamation  that  he  wished  the 
boat-house  was  burned  up. 

"  But  did  Noddy  set  the  building  on  fire  ?"  asked 
Bertha,  greatly  pained  to  hear  this  charge  against 
her  pupil. 

"  I  don't  know,  Miss  Bertha.  I  went  up  to  the 
house  to  get  my  morning  instructions,  as  I  always 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  57 

do,  and  left  Noddy  at  work  washing  up  the  boat- 
house.  I  found  you  had  gone  to  the  city,  and  I 
went  right  out  of  the  house,  and  was  coming  down 
here.  I  got  in  sight  of  the  pier,  and  saw  Miss 
Fanny  come  out  of  the  boat-house." 

"  Fanny  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  am  sure  it  was  her.  I  didn't  mind 
where  she  went,  for  I  happened  to  think  the  main 
sail  of  the  Greyhound  wanted  a  little  mending,  and 
I  went  over  to  my  room  after  some  needles.  While 
I  was  in  my  chamber,  one  of  the  gardeners  rushed 
up  to  tell  me  the  boat-house  was  afire.  I  came 
down,  but  'twasn't  no  use ;  the  building  was  most 
gone  when  I  got  here." 

"  Did  you  leave  anything  in  the  building  in  the 
shape  of  matches,  or  anything  else  ? "  asked  Mr. 
Grant. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  never  do  that,"  replied  the  old  man, 
with  a  blush. 

"  I  know  you  are  very  careful,  Ben.  Then  I 
suppose  it  was  set  on  fire." 

"  I  suppose  it  was,  sir." 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  set  it  afire,  Ben  ? "  said 
Bertha,  anxiously. 


58  WORK     AND     WIN,     OB 

"  Bless  you,  miss,  I  don't  know." 

"  Do  you  think  it  was  Noddy  ?  " 

"  No,  Miss  Bertha,  I  don't  think  it  was." 

"  Who  could  it  have  been  ? " 

"  That's  more  than  I  know.  Here  comes  Noddy, 
and  he  can  speak  for  himself." 

Noddy  had  come  forward  for  this  purpose  when 
he  saw  Mr.  Grant  and  Bertha  on  the  pier,  and  he 
had  heard  the  last  part  of  the  conversation.  He 
was  not  a  little  astonished  to  hear  Ben  declare  his 
belief  that  he  was  not  guilty,  for  he  had  been  fully 
satisfied  that  he  should  have  all  the  credit  of  the 
naughty  transaction. 

"  Do  you  know  how  the  fire  caught,  Noddy  ? " 
said  Mr.  Grant. 

"  I  reckon  it  caught  from  a  bucket  of  water  I 
left  there/'  replied  Noddy,  who  did  not  know  what 
to  say  till  he  had  felt  his  way  a  little. 

"  No  trifling,  Noddy  ! "  added  Mr.  Grant,  though 
he  could  hardly  keep  from  laughing  at  the  ridicu 
lous  answer. 

"  How  should  I  know,  sir,  when  Ben  don't  know  ? 
I  tried  to  make  him  tell  me  how  it  caught,  and  he 
wouldn't  say  a  word  about  it." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  59 

"  I  thought  it  was  best  for  me  to  keep  still," 
said  Ben. 

"  This  is  very  strange,"  continued  Mr.  Grant. 
44  Who  was  the  last  person  you  saw  in  the  boat- 
house,  Ben  ? " 

"  Miss  Fanny,  sir.  I  saw  her  come  out  of  it 
only  a  few  moments  before  the  fire  broke  out." 

Noddy  was  appalled  at  this  answer,  for  it  indi 
cated  that  Fanny  was  already  suspected  of  the  deed. 

"  Of  course  Fanny  would  not  do  such  a  thing  as 
set  the  boat-house  on  fire,"  said  Bertha. 

"  Of  course  she  wouldn't,"  added  Noddy. 

"  What  made  you  say  you  did  not  think  Noddy 
set  the  fire,  Ben?"  asked  Mr.  Grant. 

"  Because  I  think  he  had  gone  off  somewhere 
before  the  fire,  and  that  Miss  Fanny  was  in  the 
building  after  he  was.  Noddy  was  sculling  off  be 
fore  he  had  done  his  work,  and  I  called  him  back. 
That's  when  he  wished  the  boac-house  was  burned 
down." 

"  It  is  pretty  evident  that  the  fire  was  set  by 
Noddy  or  Fanny,"  said  Mr.  Grant ;  and  he  appeared 
to  have  no  doubt  as  to  which  was  the  guilty  one, 


60  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

for  he  looked  very  sternly  at  the  wayward  boy  be 
fore  him. 

"  I  think  so,  sir,"  added  Ben. 

"  And  you  say  that  it  was  not  Noddy  ? "  con 
tinued  Mr.  Grant,  looking  exceedingly  troubled  as 
he  considered  the  alternative. 

The  boatman  bowed  his  head  in  reply,  as  though 
his  conclusion  was  so  serious  and  solemn  that  he 
could  not  express  it  in  words.  Noddy  looked  from 
Ben  to  Mr.  Grant,  and  from  Mr.  Grant  to  Ben 
again.  It  was  plain  enough  what  they  meant,  and 
he  had  not  even  been  suspected  of  the  crime. 
The  boatman  had  seen  Fanny  come  out  of  the 
building  just  before  the  flames  appeared,  and  all 
hope  of  charging  the  deed  upon  some  vagabond 
from  the  river  was  gone. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  Ben,  that  you  think 
Fanny  set  the  boat-house  on  fire  ? "  demanded  Mr. 
Grant,  sternly. 

"  I  don't  see  who  else  could  have  set  it,"  added 
Ben,  stoutly. 

"  I  do,"  interposed  Noddy.  "  I  say  she  didn't 
do  it." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  61 

"  Why  do  you  say  so  ?  " 

"  Because  I  did  it  myself." 

**  I  thought  so  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Grant,  greatly 
relieved  by  the  confession. 

Ben  was  confused  and  annoyed,  and  Noddy  was 
rather  pleased  at  the  position  in  which  he  had 
placed  the  old  man,  who,  in  his  opinion,  had  not 
treated  him  as  well  as  usual. 

"  Why  didn't  you  own  it  before  ? "  said  Mr. 
Grant,  "  and  not  allow  an  innocent  person  to  be 
suspected." 

44  I  didn't  like  to,"  answered  the  culprit,  with  a 
smile,  as  though  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  his 
own  position. 

44  You  must  be  taken  care  of." 

44  I  am  going  to  take  care  of  myself,  sir,"  said 
Noddy,  with  easy  indifference. 

This  remark  was  capable  of  so  many  interpreta 
tions  that  no  one  knew  what  it  meant  —  whether 
Noddy  intended  to  run  away,  or  reform  his  vicious 
habits.  Bertha  had  never  seen  him  look  so  self- 
possessed  and  impudent  when  he  had  done  wrong, 
6 


62  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

and  she  feared  that  all  her  labors  for  his  moral 
improvement  had  been  wasted. 

Some  further  explanations  followed,  and  Noddy 
was  questioned  till  a  satisfactory  theory  in  regard 
to  the  fire  was  agreed  upon.  The  boy  declared 
that  he  had  visited  the  boat-house  after  Fanny  left 
it,  and  that  she  was  walking  towards  the  Glen 
when  he  kindled  the  fire.  He  made  out  a  con 
sistent  story,  and  completely  upset  Ben's  conclu 
sions,  and  left  the  veteran  in  a  very  confused  and 
uncomfortable  state  of  mind. 

Mr.  Grant  declared  that  something  must  be  done 
with  the  boy  at  once ;  that  if  he  was  permitted  to 
continue  on  the  place,  he  might  take  a  notion  to 
burn  the  house  down.  Poor  Bertha  could  not  gain 
say  her  father's  conclusion,  and,  sad  as  it  was,  she 
was  compelled  to  leave  the  culprit  to  whatever  decis 
ion  Mr.  Grant  might  reach.  For  the  present  he  was 
ordered  to  his  room,  to  which  he  submissively 
went,  attended  by  Bertha,  though  he  was  fully 
resolved  not  to  be  "taken  care  of;"  for  he  under 
stood  this  to  mean  a  place  in  the  workhouse  or 
the  penitentiary. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  63 


CHAPTER    V. 

SQUIRE     WRIGGS     AT     WOODVILLE. 

BERTHA  was  deeply  pained  at  the  reckless  wrong 
which  her  protege  had  done,  and  more  deeply  by 
the  cool  indifference  with  which  he  carried  himself 
after  his  voluntary  confession.  There  was  little  to 
hope  for  while  he  manifested  not  a  single  sign  of 
contrition  for  the  crime  committed.  He  was  truly 
sorry  for  the  grief  he  had  caused  her  ;  but  for  his 
own  sin  he  did  not  speak  a  word  of  regret. 

"  I  suppose  I  am  to  be  a  tinker  now,"  said 
Noddy  to  her,  with  a  smile,  which  looked  absolutely 
awful  to  Bertha,  for  it  was  a  token  of  depravity 
she  could  not  bear  to  look  upon. 

"  I  must  leave  you  now,  Noddy,  for  you  are  not 
good,"  replied  Bertha,  sadly. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  feel  so  bad  about  me,  Miss 
Bertha,"  added  Noddy. 


64  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

"  I  wish  you  would  be  sorry  for  yourself,  instead 
of  me." 

"I  am  —  sorry  that  you  want  to  make  a  tinker 
of  me  ;  "  and  Noddy  used  this  word  to  express  his 
contempt  of  any  mechanical  occupation. 

He  did  not  like  to  work.  Patient,  plodding  labor, 
devoid  of  excitement,  was  his  aversion ;  though 
handling  a  boat,  cleaning  out  a  gutter  on  some 
dizzy  height  of  the  mansion,  or  cutting  off  a  limb 
at  the  highest  point  of  the  tallest  shade  tree  on  the 
estate,  was  entirely  to  his  taste,  and  he  did  not 
regard  anything  as  work  which  had  a  spice  of 
danger  or  a  thrill  of  excitement  about  it.  He  was 
not  lazy,  in  the  broad  sense  of  the  word  ;  there  was 
not  a  more  active  and  restless  person  on  the  estate 
than  himself.  A  shop,  therefore,  was  a  horror  which 
he  had  no  words  to  describe,  and  which  he  could 
never  endure. 

"  I  want  to  see  you  in  some  useful  occupation, 
where  you  can  earn  your  living,  and  become  a  re 
spectable  man,"  said  Bertha.  "  Don't  you  want  to 
be  a  respectable  man,  Noddy  ? " 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  do  ;  but  I  had  rather  be  a 
vagabond  than  a  respectable  tinker." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  65 

"•  You  must  work,  Noddy,  if  you  would  win  a 
good  name,  and  enough  of  this  world's  goods  to 
make  you  comfortable.  Work  and  win  ;  I  give 
you  this  motto  for  your  guidance.  My  father  told 
me  to  lock  you  up  in  your  room." 

'*  You  may  do  that,  Miss  Bertha,"  laughed  Noddy. 
"  I  don't  care  how  much  you  lock  me  in.  When 
I  want  to  go  out,  I  shall  go.  I  shall  work,  and 
win  my  freedom." 

Noddy  thought  this  application  of  Bertha's  motto 
was  funny,  and  he  had  the  hardihood  to  laugh  at 
it,  till  Bertha,  hopeless  of  making  any  impression 
on  him  at  the  present  time,  left  the  room,  and  locked 
the  door  behind  her. 

"  Work  and  win  ! "  said  Noddy.  "  That's  very 
pretty,  and  for  Miss  Bertha's  sake  I  shall  remember 
it ;  but  I  shan't  work  in  any  tinker's  shop.  I  may 
as  well  take  myself  off,  and  go  to  work  in  my  own 
way." 

Noddy  was  tired,  after  the  exertions  of  the  day ; 
and  so  deeply  and  truly  repentant  was  he  for  the 
wrong  he  had  done,  that  he  immediately  went  to 
sleep,  though  it  was  not  yet  dark.  Neither  the 


66  WORK     AND     WIN,    OR 

present  nor  the  future  seemed  to  give  him  any 
trouble  ;  and  if  he  could  avoid  the  miseries  of  the 
tinker's  shop,  as  he  was  perfectly  confident  he  could, 
he  did  not  concern  himself  about  any  of  the  prizes 
,  of  life  which  are  gained  by  honest  industry  or  patient 
well  doing. 

When  it  was  quite  dark,  and  Noddy  had  slept 
about  two  hours,  the  springing  of  the  bolt  in  the 
lock  of  his  door  awoke  him.  He  leaped  to  his 
feet,  and  his  first  thought  was,  that  something  was 
to  be  done  with  him  for  burning  the  boat-house. 
But  the  door  opened,  and,  by  the  dim  light  which 
came  through  the  window,  he  recognized  the  slight 
form  of  Fanny  Grant. 

"•  Noddy,''  said  she,   timidly. 

"  Well,  Miss  Fanny,  have  you  come  to  let  me 
out  of  jail  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  came  to  see  you,  and  nobody  knows  I 
am  here.  You  won't  expose  me  —  will  you?" 

"  Of  course  I  won't ;  that  isn't  much  like  me." 

**  I  know  it  isn't,  Noddy.  What  did  you  say  that 
you  set  the  fire  for?" 

"  Because    I    thought   that  was    the   best  way  to 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX    A     CRUISE.  67 

settle  the  whole  thing.  Ben  saw  you  come  out  of 
the  boat-house,  and  told  your  father  he  believed  you 
set  the  building  on  fire.  That  was  the  meanesl 
thing  the  old  man  ever  did.  Why  didn't  he  lay  it 
to  me,  as  he  ought  to  have  done  ? " 

"  I  suppose  he  knew  you  didn't  do  it." 

"  That  don't  make  any  difference.  He  ought  to 
have  known  better  than  tell  your  father  it  was  you." 

"  I  am  so  sorry  for  what  you  have  done  !  " 

"  What  are  you  sorry  for  ?  It  won't  hurt  me,  any 
how ;  and  it  would  be  an  awful  thing  for  you. 
They  were  going  to  make  a  tinker  of  me  before, 
and  I  suppose  they  will  do  it  now  —  if  they  can. 
I  wouldn't  care  a  fig  for  it  if  Miss  Bertha  didn't 
feel  so  bad  about  it." 

"  I  will  tell  her  the  truth." 

"  Don't  you  do  it,  Miss  Fanny.  That  wouldn't 
help  me  a  bit,  and  will  spoil  you." 

"  But  I  must  tell  the  truth.  They  don't  suspect 
me  even  of  going  on  the  water." 

"  So  much  the  better.  They  won't  ask  you  any 
hard  questions.  Now,  Miss  Fanny,  don't  you  say  a 
word;  for  if  yuu  do,  it  will  make  it  all  the  worse 
for  me." 


68  WORK     AND     WIN.     OH 

"Why  so,  Noddy?" 

"  Because,  according  to  my  notion,  I  did  set  the 
building  afire.  If  I  hadn't  said  what  I  did,  you 
never  would  have  thought  of  doing  it.  So  I  was 
the  fellow  that  did  it,  after  all.  That's  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

"  But  you  didn't  set  it  afire,  and  you  didn't  mean 
to  do  any  such  thing." 

"  That  may  be  ;  but  you  wouldn't  have  done  it 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  me.  It  was  more  my  fault 
than  it  was  yours ;  and  I  want  you  to  leave  the 
thing  just  where  it  is  now." 

"  But  it  would  be  mean  for  me  to  stand  still, 
and  see  you  bear  all  the  blame." 

"It  would  be  enough  sight  meaner  for  you  to 
say  anything  about  it." 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  I  do  ;  for  don't  you  see  it  is  a  good  deal  worse 
for  me  to  put  you  up  to  such  a  thing  than  it  was 
for  me  to  do  it  myself?  Your  father  would  forgive 
me  for  setting  the  fire  sooner  than  they  would  for 
making  you  do  it.  I'm  bad  enough  already,  and 
they  know  it ;  but  if  they  think  I  make  you  as  bad 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  69 

i 

as  I  am  myself,  they  would  put  me  in  a  worse  place 
than  a  tinker's  shop." 

Noddy's  argument  was  too  much  for  the  feminine 
mind  of  Miss  Fanny,  and  again  she  abandoned  the 
purpose  she  had  fully  resolved  upon,  and  decided  not 
to  confess  her  guilt.  We  must  do  her  the  justice 
to  say,  that  she  came  to  this  conclusion,  not  from 
any  fear  of  personal  consequences,  but  in  order  to 
save  Noddy  from  the  terrible  reproach  which  would 
be  cast  upon  him  if  she  did  confess.  Already,  in 
her  heart  and  before  God,  she  had  acknowledged 
her  error,  and  was  sorrowfully  repenting  her  mis 
conduct.  But  she  could  not  expose  Noddy  to  any 
penalty  which  he  did  not  deserve.  She  knew  that 
he  did  not  mean  to  set  the  fire ;  that  his  words 
were  idle,  petulant  ones,  which  had  no  real  mean 
ing  ;  and  it  would  be  wrong  to  let  her  father  and 
Bertha  suppose  that  Noddy  had  instigated  her  to 
the  criminal  act. 

Fanny  had  not  yet  learned  that  it  is  best  to 
cleave  unto  the  truth,  and  let  the  consequences 
take  care  of  themselves. 

She    yielded    her    own    convictions    to    those  of 


70  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

another,  which  no  person  should  ever  do  in  ques 
tions  of  right  and  wrong. 

She  sacrificed  her  own  faith  in  the  simple  truth, 
to  another's  faith  in  policy,  expediency. 

The  question  was  settled  for  the  present,  and 
Fanny  crept  back  to  her  chamber,  no  easier  in 
mind,  no  better  satisfied  with  herself,  than  before. 
Noddy  went  to  sleep  again  ;  but  the  only  cloud  he 
saw  was  the  displeasure  of  Bertha.  He  was  simply 
conscious  that  he  had  got  into  a  scrape.  He  had 
not  burned  the  boat-house,  and  he  did  not  feel  guilty. 
He  had  not  intended  to  induce  Fanny  to  do  the 
deed,  and  he  did  not  feel  guilty  of  that.  He  was 
so  generous  that  he  wished  to  save  her  from  the 
consequences  of  her  error,  and  the  deception  he 
used  did  not  weigh  very  heavily  on  his  conscience. 

He  regarded  his  situation  as  merely  a  "scrape" 
into  which  he  had  accidentally  fallen,  and  his  only 
business  was  to  get  out  of  it.  These  thoughts 
filled  his  mind  when  he  awoke  in  the  morning. 
He  was  too  restless  to  remain  a  quiet  prisoner  for 
any  great  length  of  time ;  and  when  he  had  dressed 
himself,  he  began  to  look  about  him  for  the  means 


NODDY    NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  71 

of  mitigating  his  imprisonment,  or  bringing  it  to  a 
conclusion,  as  the  case  might  require.  The  win 
dow  would  be  available  at  night,  but  it  was  in 
full  view  of  the  gardeners  in  the  daytime,  who 
would  be  likely  to  report  any  movement  on  his 
part.  The  door  looked  more  hopeful. 

One  of  the  men  brought  his  breakfast,  and  re 
tired,  locking  the  door  behind  him.  While  he  was 
eating  it,  —  and  his  appetite  did  not  seem  to  be 
at  all  impaired  by  the  situation  to  which  he  had 
been  reduced,  —  he  saw  Mr.  Grant  on  the  lawn, 
talking  with  a  stranger.  His  interest  was  at  once 
excited,  and  a  closer  examination  assured  him  that 
the  visitor  was  Squire  Wriggs,  of  Whitestone.  The 
discovery  almost  spoiled  Noddy's  appetite,  for  he 
knew  that  the  squire  was  a  lawyer,  and  had  often 
been  mixed  up  with  cases  of  house-breaking,  horse- 
stealing,  robbery,  and  murder  ;  and  he  at  once 
concluded  that  the  legal  gentleman's  business  re 
lated  to  him. 

His  ideas  of  lawyers  were  rather  confused  and 
indistinct.  He  knew  they  had  a  great  deal  to  do 
in  the  court-house,  when  men  were  sent  to  the 


72  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

penitentiary  and  the  house  of  correction  for  various 
crimes.  He  watched  the  squire  and  Mr.  Grant, 
and  he  was  fully  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  what 
they  were  talking  about  when  the  latter  pointed  to 
the  window  of  his  chamber.  He  had  eaten  only 
half  his  breakfast,  but  he  found  it  impossible  to 
take  another  mouthful,  after  he  realized  that  he  was 
the  subject  of  the  conversation  between  Mr.  Grant 
and  the  lawyer. 

It  seemed  just  as  though  all  his  friends,  even 
Miss  Bertha,  had  suddenly  deserted  him.  That 
conference  on  the  lawn  was  simply  a  plot  to  take 
him  to  the  court-house,  and  then  send  him  to  the 
penitentiary,  the  house  of  correction,  or  some  other 
abominable  place,  even  if  it  were  no  worse  than  a 
tinker's  shop.  He  was  absolutely  terrified  at  the 
prospect.  After  all  his  high  hopes,  and  all  his 
confidence  in  his  supple  limbs,  the  judges,  the 
lawyers,  and  the  constables  might  fetter  his  muscles 
so  that  he  could  not  get  away  —  so  that  he  could 
not  even  run  away  to  sea,  which  was  his  ultimate 
intention,  whenever  he  could  make  up  his  mind  to 
leave  Miss  Bertha. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CEUISE.  73 

Noddy  watched  the  two  gentlemen  on  the  awn, 
and  his  breast  was  filled  with  a  storm  of  emo 
tions.  He  pictured  the  horrors  of  the  prison  to 
which  they  were  about  to  send  him,  and  his  fancy 
made  the  prospect  for  worse  than  the  reality 
could  possibly  have  been.  Mr.  Grant  led  the  way 
towards  the  building  occupied  by  the  servants. 
Noddy  was  desperate.  Squire  Wriggs  was  the 
visible  manifestation  of  jails,  courts,  constables,  and 
other  abominations,  which  were  the  sum  of  all  that 
was  terrible.  He  decided  at  once  not  to  wait  for 
a  visit  from  the  awful  personage,  who  was  evi 
dently  coming  into  the  house  to  see  him. 

He  raised  the  window  a  little,  intending  to  throw 
it  wide  open,  and  leap  down  upon  the  lawn,  when 
his  persecutor  entered  the  door.  There  was  not  a 
man  or  boy  at  Woodville  who  could  catch  him 
when  he  had  the  use  of  his  legs,  and  the  wrorld 
would  then  be  open  to  him.  But  the  gentlemen 
paused  at  the  door,  and  Noddy  listened  as  a  crim 
inal  would  wait  to  hear  his  sentence  from  the  stern 
judge. 

"  Thirty    thousand    dollars    is    a    great    deal    of 


74  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

money  for  a  boy  like  him,"  said  Mr.  Grant.  "  Of 
course  he  must  have  a  guardian." 

"  And  you  are  the  best  person  in  the  world  for 
that  j'osition,"  added  Squire  Wriggs. 

"  But  he  it  a  young  reprobate,  and  something 
must  be  done  with  him." 

"  Certainly ;    he  must  be  taken  care  of  at  once." 

"  I'm  afraid  he  will  burn  my  house  down,  as  he 
did  the  boat-house.  My  daughter  is  interested  in 
him ;  if  it  wasn't  for  her,  I  would  send  him  to 
the  house  of  correction  before  I  slept  again." 

"  When  you  are  his  guardian,  you  can  do  what 
you  think  best  for  him." 

"  That  will  be  no  easy  matter." 

"  We  will  take  the  boy  over  to  the  court  now, 
and  then  —  " 

Noddy  did  not  hear  any  more,  for  the  two  gen 
tlemen  entered  the  house,  and  he  heard  their  step 
on  the  stairs.  But  he  did  not  want  to  know  any 
thing  more.  Squire  Wriggs  had  distinctly  said 
they  would  take  him  over  to  the  court,  and  that 
was  enough  to  satisfy  him  that  his  worst  fears 
were  to  be  realized.  The  talk  about  thirty  thousand 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CEUISE.  75 

dollars,  and  the  guardian,  was  as  unintelligible  to 
him  as  though  it  had  been  in  ancient  Greek,  and 
he  did  not  bestow  a  second  thought  upon  it.  The 
"  boy  like  him,''  to  whom  thirty  thousand  dollars 
would  be  a  great  deal  of  money,  meant  some  other 
person  than  himself.  The  court  was  Noddy's  pe 
culiar  abomination ;  and  when  he  heard  the  words, 
he  clutched  the  sash  of  the  window  with  convul 
sive  energy. 

Mr.  Grant  and  Squire  Wriggs  passed  into  the 
house,  and  Noddy  Newman  passed  out.  To  a 
gymnast  of  his  wiry  experience,  the  feat  was  not 
impossible,  or  even  very  difficult.  Swinging  out  of 
the  window,  he  placed  his  feet  on  the  window-cap 
below,  and  then,  stooping  down,  he  got  hold  with 
his  hands,  and  slipped  down  from  his  perch  with 
about  the  same  ease  with  which  a  well-trained 
monkey  would  have  accomplished  the  descent. 

He  was  on  the  solid  earth  now,  and  with  the 
feeling  that  the  court-house  and  a  whole  regiment 
of  constables  were  behind  him,  he  took  to  his 
heels.  A  stiff-kneed  gardener,  who  had  observed 


76  WORK    AXD     WIN,     OR 

his  exit  from  the  house,  attempted  to  follow  him  ; 
but  he  might  as  well  have  chased  a  north-west 
gale.  Noddy  reached  the  Glen,  and  no  sound  of 
pursuers  could  be  heard.  The  pliant0**  court-house 
had  been  beaten  in  the  race. 


NODD1     NEWMAN     ON     A     CKUISE.  77 


CHAPTER    VI. 

NODDY'S    ENGAGEMENT. 

WHE>  Xoddy  reached  the  Glen,  he  had  time  to 
stop  and  chink  ;  and  the  consequences  of  the  sudden 
step  he  had  taken  came  to  his  mind  with  tremen 
dous  force.  He  had  fled  from  Miss  Bertha,  and  all 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  which  had  surrounded 
him  at  Woodville.  He  was  a  vagabond  again. 

It  was  a  great  deal  better  to  be  a  vagabond  than 
it  was  to  be  an  inmate  of  a  prison,  or  even  of  a 
tinker's  shop.  He  had  committed  no  crime ;  the 
worst  that  could  be  said  of  him  was,  that  he  was 
a  victim  of  circumstances.  It  was  unfortunate  for 
him  that  he  had  used  those  petulant  words,  that 
he  wished  the  boat-house  was  burned  down,  for 
they  had  put  the  idea  into  Fanny's  head.  He  did 
not  mean  to  kindle  the  fire,  but  he.  believed  that 
he  had  been  the  cause  of  it,  and  that  it  was  hardly 
7* 


78  WORK     AND     W'lJS,     OR 

fair  to  let  the  young  lady  suffer  for  what  he  had 
virtually  done. 

He  was  sorry  to  leave  Woodville,  and  above  all, 
rorry  to  be  banished  from  the  presence  of  Miss 
Bertha.  But  that  had  already  been  agreed  upon, 
and  he  was  only  anticipating  the  event  by  taking 
himself  off  as  he  did.  He  would  rather  have  gone 
in  a  more  honorable  manner  than  running  away  like 
a  hunted  dog  ;  but  he  could  not  help  that,  and  the 
very  thought  of  the  horrible  court-house  was  enough 
to  drive  him  from  the  best  home  in  the  world. 

He  walked  up  to  a  retired  part  of  the  Glen, 
where  he  could  continue  his  retreat  without  being 
intercepted,  if  it  became  necessary,  and  sat  down  on 
a  rock  to  think  of  the  future.  He  had  no  more 
idea  what  he  should  do  with  himself,  than  he  had 
when  he  was  a  wanderer  before  in  these  regions. 
Undoubtedly  his  ultimate  purpose  was  to  go  to  sea ; 
but  he  was  not  quite  ready  to  depart.  He  cher 
ished  a  hope  that  he  might  contrive  to  meet  Bertha 
in  some  of  her  walks,  and  say  good  by  to  her  before 
he  committed  himself  to  his  fortunes  on  the  stormy 
ocean. 


NODDY     XEWM.VX     ON     A     CRUISE.  79 

V\  iiile  he  was  deliberating  upon  his  prospects,  a 
happy  thought,  as  he  regarded  it,  came  to  his  mind. 
He  could  turn  somersets,  and  cut  more  capers  than 
any  man  in  the  circus  company  which  he  had  seen 
on  the  preceding  day.  \Vith  a  little  practice,  he 
was  satisfied  that  he  could  learn  to  stand  up  on 
the  back  of  a  horse.  A  field  of  glory  suddenly 
opened  to  his  vision,  and  he  could  win  the  applause 
of  admiring  thousands  by  his  daring  feats.  He  had 
performed  all  sorts  of  gyrations  for  the  amusement  of 
the  idlers  about  Woodville,  and  he  might  now  turn 
his  accomplishments  to  a  useful  purpose  —  indeed, 
make  them  pay  for  his  food  and  clothing. 

Noddy  had  no  idea  that  circus  performances  were 
not  entirely  respectable ;  and  it  seemed  to  him  that 
his  early  training  had  exactly  fitted  him  to  shine  in 
this  peculiar  sphere.  It  might  not  be  decent  busi 
ness  for  Mr.  Grant  and  Bertha,  but  it  was  just  the 
thing  for  him.  Whitcstonc  was  a  very  large  to-.vn, 
and  the  circus  was  still  there.  He  had  not  a  moment 
to  lose  ;  and,  under  the  impulse  of  his  new  rcso< 
lution,  he  left  the  Glen,  intending  to  walk  up  the 
river  to  the  ferry,  a  couple  of  miles  distant. 


80  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

Noddy  went  over  the  river,  and  reached  the  great 
tent  of  the  circus  company  about  one  o'clock.  He 
was  rather  disturbed  by  the  fear  that  he  might 
meet  Squire  Wriggs,  or  some  of  the  constables  ;  but 
all  his  hopes  were  now  centred  on  the  circus,  and 
he  could  not  avoid  the  risk  of  exposing  himself. 
He  boldly  inquired  for  the  "head  man"  of  the 
establishment ;  but  this  distinguished  functionary 
was  not  on  the  premises  at  that  time  ;  he  would 
be  there  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour. 

He  walked  down  to  a  shop,  and  having  a  small 
sum  of  money  in  his  pocket,  he  obtained  something 
to  eat.  On  his  return  to  the  tent,  the  head  man 
was  pointed  out  to  him.  Noddy,  as  a  general  rule, 
was  not  troubled  with  bashfulness ;  and  he  walked 
resolutely  up  to  the  manager,  and  intimated  to  him 
that  he  should  like  to  be  engaged  as  a  performer. 

"  What  do  you  want,  my  boy  ?  "  demanded  the 
head  man,  who  was  quite  confident  that  he  had 
mistaken  the  applicant's  meaning,  for  it  was  hardly 
possible  that  a  youth  like  him  could  be  a  circus 
performer. 

"  I  want  a  place  to  perform,  sir  "  repeated  Noddy, 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  81 

who  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  technical  terms 
belonging  to  the  profession. 

"  To  perform  ! "  laughed  the  manager,  measuring 
him  from  head  to  foot  with  his  eye. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  What  kind  of  business  can  you  do,  my  boy?" 

"  Almost  anything,  sir." 

"  Do  you  ride  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  I'm  not  much  used  to  standing  up  on 
a  horse,  but  I  think  I  could  go  it,  after  doing  it  a 
little  while." 

"  Do  you,  indeed  !  "  sneered  the  man.  "  Well,  we 
don't  want  anybody  that  can  do  almost  any  kind 
of  business." 

"  I'm  used  to  this  thing,  sir,"  pleaded  Noddy. 

'*  Used  to  it !  I  suppose  you  want  a  place  as  a 
bill-sticker,  or  to  take  care  of  the  horses." 

"  No,  sir ;  I  want  to  perform.  If  you  will  give 
me  a  chance  to  show  what  I  can  do,  I  think  you'll 
have  me,"  persisted  Noddy,  not  at  all  pleased  with 
the  decided  refusal  he  had  received. 

"  Well,  come  in  here,"  laughed  the  head  man, 
who  had  no  doubt  that  the  applicant  would"  soon 
be  brought  to  grief. 


82  WORK     AIs'D     WIN,     OH 

It  was  almost  time  for  the  doors  to  be  opened 
for  the  afternoon  performance,  and  the  man  con 
ducted  Noddy  to  the  ring,  where  he  saw  a  number 
of  the  riders  and  gymnasts,  all  dressed  in  their  silks 
and  spangles  to  appear  before  the  public. 

"  Here,  Whippleby,  is  a  young  man  that  wants 
an  engagement,"  said  the  manager  to  the  man  who 
had  acted  as  ring-master  when  Noddy  was  present. 

"  What  can  he  do  ?  " 

"  Almost  everything ;  but  he  isn't  much  used  to 
riding." 

Whippleby  laughed,  and  the  manager  laughed ; 
and  it  was  quite  evident,  even  to  the  aspirant  for 
circus  honors,  that  all  present  intended  to  amuse 
themselves  at  his  expense.  But  Noddy  felt  able  to 
outdo  most  of  the  circus  people  at  their  own  pro 
fession,  and  he  confidently  expected  to  turn  the  laugh 
upon  them  before  the  game  was  ended. 

"  A  versatile  genius,"  said  Whippleby. 

"  Just  try  him,  and  see  what  he  can  do,"  added 
the  manager,  significantly. 

"  Well,  my  little  man,  what  do  you  say  to  a  little 
ground  and  lofty  tumbling,"  said  Whippleby,  wink- 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUI..E.  83 

ing  at  the  performers,  who  stood  in  a  circle  around 
them. 

"  I'm  at  home  in  that,"  replied  Noddy,  throwing 
off  his  jacket. 

"  Good !  You  have  got  pluck  enough,  at  any 
rate.  Here,  Nesmond,  do  something,"  said  the  ring 
master  to  a  wiry  young  man  of  the  group. 

Nesmond  did  what  Noddy  had  seen  him  do  the 
day  before  ;  he  whirled  over  and  over  across  the 
ring,  like  a  hoop,  striking  his  hands  and  feet  alter 
nately  on  the  ground. 

"  There,  youngster,  do  you  see  that  ? "  said 
Whippleby. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  see  it,"  replied  Noddy,  unabashed  by 
the  work  which  was  expected  of  him. 

"  Now,  let  us  see  you  do  it." 

Noddy  did  it,  and  if  anything,  more  rapidly  and 
gracefully  than  the  professional  man.  The  men 
applauded,  and  Nesmond  —  *'  the  great  American 
vaulter  and  tumbler"  —  looked  exceedingly  discon 
certed  when  he  saw  his  wonderful  act  so  easily 
imitated. 

"  Try  it  again,  Nesmond,"   said  Whippleby. 


84  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

The  distinguished  athlete  went  on  for  half  an 
hour,  performing  his  antics  ;  and  Noddy  repeated 
them,  though  he  had  never  before  attempted  some 
of  them.  Nesmond  gave  it  up. 

"  Well,  young  man,  you  can  do  almost  every 
thing,  but  you  are  as  clumsy  and  ungraceful  as  a 
bear  about  it.  You  need  a  little  training  on  your 
positions,  and  you  will  make  a  first  class  tumbler," 
said  the  manager. 

The  men  had  ceased  to  laugh,  and  even  looked 
admiringly  on  the  prodigy  who  had  so  suddenly 
developed  himself.  Noddy  felt  that  his  fortune  was 
already  made,  and  he  was  almost  ready  to  snap  his 
fingers  at  the  court-house.  Here  was  a  chance  fot 
him  to  u  work  and  win,"  and  it  was  entirely  to  his 
taste. 

The  manager  then  questioned  him  in  regard  to 
his  family  connections ;  but  as  Noddy  had  none,  nis 
answers  were  very  brief.  He  had  no  father  nor 
mother,  and  he  had  no  home  ;  he  was  no  runaway, 
for  there  was  no  one  living  who  had  any  claim 
upon  him.  These  answers  were  entirely  satisfactory 
to  the  head  man. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  85 

"  What  salary  do  you  expect  ?  "  asked  the  man 
ager,  when  he  had  assured  himself  there  was  no 
one  to  interfere  with  any  arrangement  he  might 
make. 

"  What  do  you  give  ?  "   asked  Noddy. 

"  Well,  we  give  different  salaries,  depending  on 
the  men." 

"  You  have  seen  what  I  can  do  —  what  will  you 
give  me  ?  Talk  right  up,  or  I  shall  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it,"  added  Noddy,  borrowing  an  expres 
sion  from  a  highly  respectable  horse  jockey,  who 
had  a  language  of  his  own. 

"  I'll  give  you  your  board  and  clothes,  and  your 
dresses  for  the  first  season." 

"  Nothing  of  that  sort  for  me,"  replied  Noddy, 
promptly.  "  I  want  to  know  how  much  I'm  to 
have  in  hard  cash." 

"  Very  well ;  I'll  give  you  five  dollars  a  week,  and 
you  find  yourself." 

Five  dollars   a  week  looked   like    a    large    salary 
to  Noddy,  though  it  was    not    one    fourth    of   what 
the    distinguished    Mr.    Nesmond    received,  and    he 
immediately  closed  the  bargain. 
8 


86  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  I'll  put  you  on  the  bills  for  the  next  town  we 
visit.  What's  your  name?" 

"  Noddy  Newman." 

"  What  ? " 

The  embryo  performer  repeated  his  name. 

"  That  won't  do ;  you  must  have  a  better  name 
than  that.  Arthur  De  Forrest  - —  how  will  that  suit 
you  ? " 

"  First  rate,"  replied  Noddy,  who  was  very  ac 
commodating  in  minor  matters. 

"  We  show  in  Disbury  to-morrow  night,  and  you 
must  be  ready  to  do  your  business  then,  Mr. 
De  Forrest,"  added  the  manager.  "  After  the  per 
formance  this  afternoon,  Mr.  Whippleby  will  give 
you  a  few  lessons." 

"  But  where  shall  I  get  a  dress  ?  " 

"  I  will  furnish  you  one,  and  take  it  out  of  your 
salary.  You  had  better  put  it  on  when  you  prac 
tise,  so  as  to  get  used  to  it." 

Noddy  was  highly  pleased  with  all  these  arrange 
ments,  and  could  not  help  congratulating  himself 
on  the  happy  thought  which  had  induced  him  to 
join  the  circus.  It  was  true,  and  he  could  not  help 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CKUISE.  87 

noticing  it,  that  the  men  around  him  were  not  such 
people  as  Mr.  Grant,  and  others  whom  he  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  seeing  at  Woodville.  All  of  them 
swore  terribly  ;  their  breath  smelt  of  liquor,  and 
they  talked  the  language  of  a  depravity  to  which 
Noddy,  with  all  his  waywardness,  was  a  stranger. 
There  were  boys  no  older  than  himself  in  the  com 
pany,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  be  a  whit  less 
depraved  than  the  older  ones. 

Though  the  novice  was  not  a  young  man  of  high 
aims  and  purposes,  he  was  not  much  pleased  with 
his  companions.  He  was  what  they  termed  "  green," 
and  it  was  quite  plain  to  him  that  there  would  be 
a  fight  before  many  days  had  passed  by,  for  he  was 
too  high-spirited  to  submit  tamely  to  the  insults 
which  were  heaped  upon  him. 

During  the  afternoon  performance,  he  stood  at 
the  gates  of  the  ring,  where  the  horses  enter  ;  and 
Mr.  Whippleby  sent  him  before  the  public  for  the 
first  time,  to  bring  out  a  whip  which  had  been 
left  there. 

"  Noddy  Newman  !  "  shouted  a  boy  among  the 
spectators. 


8S  WOKK     AXD     WIN,     OK 

The  young  athlete  heard  his  name,  and  too  late 
he  remembered  that  he  had  exposed  himself  to 
the  gaze  of  the  constables,  who  might  by  this  time 
be  in  search  of  him.  During  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon  he  kept  himself  out  of  sight ;  but  the 
mischief  had  already  been  done. 


KODDY     NEWMAN     ON    A     CRUISE.  89 


CHAPTER     VII. 

THE     KING-MASTER. 

"WHEN  the  performance  was  over,  Noddy,  with 
the  assistance  of  one  of  his  companions,  dressed 
himself  in  "  trunk  and  tights,"  and  appeared  in 
the  ring  to  take  his  first  lesson  in  graceful  move 
ments.  He  could  turn  the  somersets,  and  go 
through  with  the  other  evolutions ;  but  there  was 
a  certain  polish  needed  —  so  the  ring-master  said  — 
to  make  them  pass  off  well.  He  was  to  assume  a 
graceful  position  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  each 
act ;  he  must  recover  himself  without  clumsiness  ; 
he  must  bow,  and  make  a  flourish  with  his  hands, 
when  he  had  done  a  brilliant  thing. 

Noddy  had    not    much    taste    for    this    branch  of 

the    profession.      He    did    not    like  the  bowing  and 

the    flourishing.      If  the    feat    itself   did   not  please 

the   people,  he    could    not   win    them    by  smirking. 

«* 


90  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

He  was  much  pleased  with  his  costume,  and  tin* 
kept  him  good-natured,  under  the  severe  training 
of  the  ring-master,  for  a  time.  Mr.  Whippleby 
was  coarse  and  rough  in  his  manners.  During  the 
show  he  had  been  all  grace  and  elegance,  and  did 
not  use  any  big  words  ;  but  now  he  was  as  rough 
as  a  bear,  and  swore  like  a  pirate.  He  was  just 
like  a  cat's  paw,  —  he  kept  the  sharp  claws  down 
while  the  dear  people  were  present ;  but  now  he 
thrust  them  out. 

Noddy  found  the  "  business  "  was  no  joke.  Mr. 
Whippleby  did  not  so  regard  it,  now  that  the 
training  had  commenced;  and  the  novice  found  that 
he  had  placed  himself  under  a  very  tyrannical 
master.  He  made  his  bows,  and  flourished  his 
arms,  with  all  the  grace  he  could  command  for  a 
time ;  but  he  did  not  come  *  up  to  his  severe 
teacher's  standard. 

"  Do  that  again,"  said  Mr.  Whippleby,  with  sav 
age  emphasis.  "  Don't  hurry  it." 

Noddy  did  it  again,  as  slowly  as  he  could  ;  but 
he  was  apparently  just  as  far  from  perfection  as 
before. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  91 

"  If  you  don't  do  better  than  that,  I'll  put  the 
whip  around  your  legs ! "  shouted  the  impatient 
ring-master.  "  One  of  the  mules  could  do  it 
better." 

"  I  did  it  as  well  as  I  could,"  replied  Noddy, 
rather  tartly. 

"  You  will  do  it  better  than  that,  or  your  legs 
will  smart.  Now  do  it  again." 

Noddy  obeyed.  He  did  not  think  the  ring 
master  really  intended  to  strike  him  with  the  long 
whip  he  held  in  his  hand,  but  supposed  he  was 
so  much  in  the  habit  of  threatening  the  clown 
with  the  lash,  that  he  did  it  now  from  the  force 
of  habit.  His  last  attempt  did  not  satisfy  Mr. 
Whippleby,  who  stormed  at  him  more  furiously 
than  before. 

"  Do  you  think  I  have  nothing  better  to  do 
than  waste  my  time  over  a  blockhead  like  you  ? 
I  haven't  had  my  bitters  yet.  Now  do  it  again; 
and  if  you  fail  this  time  you  will  catch  it." 

Noddy  turned  his  somerset ;  but  he  had  hardly 
recovered  himself  before  he  received  a  smart  cut 
from  the  whip  in  the  tenderest  part  of  his  leg. 


92  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

There  was  a  young  lion  in  the  novice,  and  a  blow 
from  any  man  was  more  than  he  could  endure. 
He  expressed  his  mind  in  regard  to  the  outrage 
with  such  freedom,  that  Mr.  Whippleby  lost  his 
temper,  if  he  ever  had  any  to  lose,  and  he  began 
to  lash  the  unfortunate  youth  in  the  most  brutal 
manner. 

Noddy,  finding  there  was  no  satisfaction  to  be 
obtained  by  facing  the  ring-master,  fled  from  the 
spot,  leaping  up  on  the  seats  where  the  spectators 
sat.  He  was  maddened  to  fury  by  the  harsh  treat 
ment  he  had  received ;  and  thirsting  for  vengeance, 
he  seized  whatever  missiles  he  could  find,  and 
hurled  them  at  his  persecutor.  His  legs  seemed 
to  be  on  fire  from  the  effect  of  the  blows  he  had 
received.  He  rubbed  them  for  a  moment,  while 
he  hurled  the  most  bitter  denunciations  at  the 
riding-master. 

"  Now  come  down,  and  try  again,"  called  Mr. 
Whippleby,  who  did  not  seem  to  be  much  dis 
concerted  by  what  had  taken  place,  when  he  had 
in  some  measure  recovered  his  equanimity. 

"  No,  I  won't !  "    replied  Noddy. 


NODDY     NEWMA.N      ON     A     CRUISE.  93 

"  Have  you  got  enough,  Mr.  Arthur  De  Forrest  ?  " 

"  I  will  give  you  enough  before  you  get  through." 

While  this  colloquy  was  going  on,  the  manager 
appeared  in  the  ring.  Whippleby  laughingly  told 
him  what  had  happened,  and  he  seemed  to  be 
much  amused  by  it ;  but  the  ring-master  had  cer 
tainly  changed  his  tone  at  the  appearance  of  the 
"  head  man." 

'"  Come,  my  boy,  come  down,  and  let  me  see 
how  well  you  do  your  business,"  said  the  man 
ager. 

"  I've  had  enough  of  it,"  replied  Noddy,  as  he 
returned  to  the  ring.  "  I'm  not  a  horse,  and  I'm 
not  going  to  be  treated  like  one." 

"  That's  your  initiation,  my  boy,"  said  Whip 
pleby.  "  We  always  try  new  beginners  in  that 
way,  to  find  out  what  they  are  made  of." 

"  You  will  find  out  what  I'm  made  of,  if  you 
hit  me  again  with  that  whip." 

"  I  know  now.  You  won't  need  any  more,  if 
you  try  to  do  what  you  are  told." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  whipped,  whether  I  try 
or  not,"  added  Noddy,  doggedly. 


94  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

"  You  shall  not  be  whipped,  my  boy,"  said  the 
manager.  "  Now  show  me  your  ground  act." 

The  novice  was  about  to  comply,  —  for  he  had 
already  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  "  head 
man"  would  protect  him,  —  when  he  saw  two  men 
enter  the  tent.  They  did  not  belong  to  the  com 
pany,  and  Noddy  was  quite  sure  he  had  often  seen 
them  in  Whitestone. 

"  We  don't  allow  visitors  in  here  now,"  said  the 
manager. 

"  We  come  on  business.  There  is  a  boy  here 
that  we  want  to  find,"  replied  one  of  the  men. 

"  You  must  leave  the  tent,"  said  the  manager, 
rather  sharply. 

"  I  am  a  constable,  and  there  is  a  boy  about 
here  that  I  want." 

"  What's  his  name  ?  " 

"  They  call  him  Noddy  Newman." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  him  ?  " 

"  That's  my  business,"  answered  the  constable, 
rudely.  "  The  boy  came  into  the  ring  this  after 
noon  during  the  show,  and  I  suppose  he  belongs 
to  the  company." 


NODDY     NEWMAX     ON     A    CRUISE.  95 

"  That's  the  fellow  !  "  exclaimed  the  other  con 
stable,  pointing  to  Noddy,  who  was  trying  to  take 
himself  off  without  being  noticed. 

"  That's  Arthur  De  Forrest,"  interposed  the  man 
ager. 

"  No,  it  isn't ;  I've  known  him  this  five  years," 
said  the  man  who  had  recognized  the  culprit. 

Both  of  them  walked  towards  Noddy,  with  the 
intention,  apparently,  of  laying  violent  hands  on 
him ;  but  the  young  gentleman  in  "  trunk  and 
tights  "  was  not  prepared  to  yield  up  his  personal 
liberty,  and  he  retreated. 

The  officers  were  in  a  position  where  they  could 
stop  him  from  leaving  the  tent  by  either  of  the 
two  entrances ;  and  Noddy,  finding  his  exit  pre 
vented,  seized  a  rope  which  was  hanging  down  by 
the  centre-pole,  and  climbed  up  out  of  the  reach 
of  his  pursuers. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?"  demanded  the 
young  athlete,  as  he  perched  himself  in  a  comfort 
able  position  on  the  "  slack  rope,"  which  was  sus 
pended  to  the  pole. 

"  We  shall  not  do  you  any  harm,  my  boy,''  said 
one  of  the  officers. 


96  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me?" 

*'  There  is  good  news  for  you ;  and  you  are 
wanted  over  at  Squire  Wriggs's  office." 

"  I  know  ye !  You  want  to  take  me  to  the 
court-house.  You  can't  humbug  me,"  said  Noddy, 
fully  confirmed  in  his  suspicions  by  the  conduct  of 
the  men. 

"  We  won't  hurt  you." 

"  You  want  to  take  me  up." 

"  No,  we  don't ;  we  only  want  to  take  you  up 
to  Squire  Wriggs's  office.  It's  all  for  your  good." 

"  No,  you  don't,"  replied  Noddy.  "  You  can't 
cheat  me." 

"  We  don't  want  to  cheat  you.  We  are  only 
sent  to  find  you.  We  will  not  arrest  you." 

"  I  know  better.  You  can't  fool  me.  I  heard 
Squire  Wriggs  say  he  wanted  to  take  me  up  to 
the  court-house ;  and  you  don't  catch  me  near  no 
court-house.  I  know  what  you  mean." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  my  boy.  Come  down,  and 
I  will  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  WThen  I  do,  you  let  me  know,"  replied  Noddy, 
who  felt  so  secure  from  arrest  in  his  present  quar- 


"NODDY    NEW  MAX    ox    A   CRUISE.-  97 

ters  that  he  expressed  his  mind  with  perfect  free 
dom. 

"  We  promise  not  to  arrest  you,''  persisted  the 
constable  who  did  the  talking.  k'  We  have  been 
looking  for  you  all  day." 

"  You  may  look  another  day,  if  you  like,"  added 
the  defiant  refugee.  **  You  want  me  for  setting 
fire  to  the  boat-house  ;  but  I'm  not  to  blame,  if  I 
did  do  it." 

"  We  don't  know  anything  about  the  boat- 
house  ;  Squire  Wriggs  has  a  lot  of  money  for 
you." 

"  You  can't  catch  an  old  bird  in  any  such  trap 
as  that,"  answered  Noddy,  shaking  his  head  sig 
nificantly. 

The  officers  used  all  their  powers  of  persuasion 
to  induce  him  to  come  down  ;  but  Noddy,  satisfied 
that  they  had  been  sent  by  Squire  Wriggs,  was 
fully  persuaded  that  they  were  trying  to  deceive 
him.  The  story  about  a  "lot  of  money "  for  a 
poor  boy  like  him,  who  had  not  a  friend  in  the 
world,  was  too  absurd,  in  his  estimation,  to  be  en 
tertained  for  a  moment.  He  had  heard  the  squire 
9 


98  WORK     AND     WIN,     OB 

speak  to  Mr.  Grant  about  thirty  thousand  dollars ; 
but  such  a  sum  was  beyond  his  comprehension. 
He  did  not  believe  any  man,  not  even  the  owner 
of  \Voodville,  had  so  much  money  ;  and  of  course 
it  was  nothing  to  him. 

The  constables  got  out  of  patience  at  last ;  and 
though  they  showed  no  signs  of  anger  or  malice, 
they  exhibited  an  intention  to  catch  him,  which 
was  much  worse.  One  of  them  commenced  the 
ascent  of  the  pole  in  the  centre  of  the  tent.  The 
circus  people,  who  seemed  to  be  in  full  sympathy 
with  Noddy,  remained  neutral,  for  the  intruders 
were  officers  of  the  law,  and  it  was  not  prudent 
to  oppose  them. 

Noddy  perceived  the  object  of  his  pursuers,  and 
grasping  one  of  the  tent-ropes,  he  scrambled  up  to 
the  very  apex  of  the  canvas  structure,  and  crawled 
through  the  aperture  around  the  pole.  From  this 
point  he  slid  down  to  the  short  poles,  and  then 
dropped  upon  the  ground,  before  the  man  in  the 
ring  could  pass  round  to  the  outside  of  the  tent. 
Dodging  under  the  curtains,  he  reached  the  place 
which  served  as  a  dressing-'  jom.  Removing  his 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  99 

"  trunks,"    he   hurried   on   his   clothes,    and   rushed 
out   into    the    open    air   again. 

His  persecutors  were  not  in  sight,  and  he  did 
not  lose  a  moment  in  putting  a  safe  distance  be 
tween  himself  and  them.  Precisely  as  a  well- 
educated  duck  or  other  water-fowl  would  have 
done,  he  hastened  to  the  river,  as  his  most  natural 
element.  He  had  made  a  complete  circuit  of  the 
town  in  his  flight.  He  did  not  dare  to  show  him 
self  to  a  living  being ;  for  it  seemed  to  him  just 
as  though  the  whole  country  was  after  him.  When 
he  reached  the  river,  he  sat  down  on  the  bank, 
exhausted  by  his  efforts  and  by  the  excitement  of 
the  afternoon. 

"  I  reckon  I've  got  about  circus  enough,"  said 
he  to  himself,  —  for  there  wa«  no  one  else  to 
whom  he  could  say  it.  "  That  Whippleby  is  worse 
than  a  heathen.  I  don't  like  any  of  them." 

He  rubbed  his  legs,  which  were  not  yet  don» 
smarting  ;  and  the  pain  seemed  to  be  an  emphativ 
protest  against  circuses  in  general,  and  the  "  Great 
Olympian  Circus"  in  particular.  But  whether  he 
liked  the  circus  or  not,  it  was  no  longer  safe  foi 


100  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

him  to  remain  with  the  company.  He  had  taken 
"  French  leave "  of  the  manager,  and  had  cheated 
him  out  of  the  tights  which  enveloped  his  body 
from  neck  to  heels.  This  thought  reminded  him 
that  they  did  not  feel  at  all  comfortable,  and  he 
wished  the  manager  had  his  own  again. 

Having  abandoned  the  circus  profession  in  dis 
gust,  he  wondered  what  he  should  do  next.  It 
was  useless  for  him  to  stay  in  the  vicinity  of 
Woodville ;  and  the  only  safe  plan  for  him  to 
adopt  was,  to  go  away  to  some  other  part  of  the 
country,  or  go  to  sea  at  once.  He  could  not  tol 
erate  the  idea  of  leaving  without  letting  Bertha 
know  where  he  was.  The  officers  were  on  his 
track,  and  he  could  not  hope  always  to  escape 
them.  The  court-house  was  terrible,  and  prompt 
action  was  necessary. 

He  must  have  a  sight  of  Bertha,  even  if  he  did 
not  speak  to  her  ;  and  at  the  risk  of  being 
captured,  he  determined  to  stay  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Woodville  till  the  next  morning.  Near 
the  place  where  he  sat  there  was  a  skiff  moored 
to  the  bank.  He  hauled  it  in,  and  took  up  the 


NODDY   NEWMAN   ON   A   CRUISE.  101 

oars.  He  did  not  mean  to  steal  it,  only  to  borrow 
it  till  the  next  morning.  With  this  comfortable 
reflection  he  cast  off  the  painter,  and  pulled  over 
to  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

It  was  now  quite  late  in  the  evening.  He  had 
not  eaten  any  supper,  and,  like  other  boys,  he  was 
always  hungry  at  meal  times.  He  wanted  some 
thing  to  eat;,  and  it  occurred  to  him  that  there 
were  generally  some  crackers  and  cheese  in  the 
locker  of  the  Greyhound,  and  he  rowed  down  to 
her  moorings.  He  found  what  he  wanted  there, 
and  made  a  hearty  supper.  He  was  satisfied  then, 
and  soon  went  to  sleep  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the 
sail-boat. 

Fortunately  for  him,  he  waked  up  about  day 
light,  and  was  not  seen  by  any  of  the  early  risers 
at  Woodville.  Appropriating  the  rest  of  the  crack 
ers  and  cheese  for  his  breakfast,  he  got  into  the 
skiff  and  rowed  up  to  the  Glen,  where  he  hoped, 
in  the  course  of  the  forenoon,  to  see  Bertha. 
9* 


102  WORK    AND     WIN,     OR 


CHAPTER     VIII. 

GOOD     BY     TO     WOODVILLE. 

BERTHA  often  walked  to  the  Glen  before  break 
fast,  and  Noddy  expected  to  find  her  there  on  the 
present  occasion.  As  she  did  not  appear,  he  fol 
lowed  the  path  towards  Woodville,  and  actually 
reached  the  lawn  which  surrounded  the  mansion 
before  he  thought  of  the  danger  he  incurred.  But 
it  was  breakfast  time  in  the  servants'  quarters,  and 
he  was  not  seen. 

Keeping  on  the  outskirts  of  the  lawn,  where  he 
could  make  good  his  retreat  in  case  of  necessity, 
he  walked  nearly  round  to  the  pier,  and  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  discover  Bertha  at  a  turn  of  the 
winding  path,  near  his  route.  The  sight  of  her 
filled  him  with  emotion,  and  brought  to  his  mind 
the  remembrance  of  the  many  happy  days  he  had 
spent  in  her  presence.  He  could  hardly  restrain 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  103 

the  tears  which  the  thought  of  leaving  the  place 
brought  to  his  eyes,  though  Noddy  was  not  given 
to  the  feminine  custom  of  weeping. 

"  Miss  Bertha,''  said  he,  as  she  approached  the 
spot  where  he  stood. 

She  started  back  with  alarm ;  but  he  stepped 
forward  from  the  concealment  of  the  bushes,  and 
with  a  smile  of  pleasure  she  recognized  him. 

"  Why,  Noddy,  is  that  you : "  said  she,  walking 
towards  the  spot  where  he  stood. 

"  It's  me,  Miss  Bertha  ;  but  I  suppose  you  don't 
want  to  see  me  now." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  What  did  you  go 
away  for  ?  " 

"  Because  they  were  going  to  put  me  in  the 
court-house." 

"  In  the  court-house  !  "  exclaimed  Bertha,  who 
was  better  acquainted  with  legal  affairs  than  her 
pupil. 

"  Yes,  for  setting  the  boat-house  afire." 

"  I  don't  think  they  intended  to  take  you  to  the 
court-house." 

"  O.  I  know  they  did.      I  have  had  two  constables 


104  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

after  me ;  but  I  got  away  from  them.  Besides, 
I  heard  Squire  Wriggs  say  they  were  going  to 
take  me  to  the  court-house.  I  heard  him  say  so 
myself." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  so,"  said  Bertha,  musing.  "  Squire 
Wriggs  came  to  see  father  yesterday  morning.  They 
went  out  together,  and  were  speaking  of  you  as 
they  left  the  house." 

"  I'm  glad  you  didn't  have  anything  to  do  with 
it,"  said  Noddy,  delighted  to  find  that  Bertha  was 
not  one  of  his  persecutors. 

Then,  with  the  utmost  simplicity,  and  apparently 
with  the  feeling  that  he  was  a  persecuted  youth, 
he  told  her  everything  that  had  occurred  from  the 
time  he  first  saw  Mr.  Grant  and  Squire  Wriggs  on 
the  lawn. 

"  I  don't  know  what  my  father's  plans  are,"  said 
Bertha,  sadly ;  "  but  he  thinks  it  is  no  longer  safe 
to  permit  you  to  roam  about  the  place.  He  is 
afraid  you  will  set  the  house  on  fire,  or  do  some 
other  terrible  thing." 

"  But  I  wouldn't,  Miss  Bertha,"  protested  Noddy. 

"  Why  did  you  do  such  a  wicked  thing  ?  " 


xonnv    XKWMAX    ox    A   CRUISE.  10$ 

"  I  couldn't  help  it." 

"Yes,  you  could,  Noddy.  That's  only  making  a 
bad  matter  worse.  Of  course  you  could  help  setting 
a  building  on  fire." 

"  It  wasn't  my  fault.  Miss  Bertha,"  stammered 
he;  "I  can't  explain  it  now  —  perhaps  sometime  I 
may ;  and  when  you  understand  it,  you  won't  think 
so  bad  of  me." 

"  If  there  is  anything  about  it  that  I  don't  know, 
why  don't  you  tell  me?"  added  Bertha,  mystified  by 
his  strange  remark. 

"  I  can't  say  anything  now.  Please  don't  ask  me 
anything  about  it,  Miss  Bertha.  I'm  not  half  so 
much  to  blame  as  you  think  I  am  ;  but  I  set  the 
fire,  and  they  are  after  me  for  it.  They  have  used 
all  sorts  of  tricks  to  catch  me ;  but  I'm  not  going 
into  any  court-house,  or  any  tinker's  shop." 

"  What  tricks  do  you  moan  ?  " 

"  They  said  they  had  a  lot  of  money  for  me,  and 
that  Squire  Wriggs  wouldn't  do  me  any  harm." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  anything  about  that.  Father 
went  over  to  Whitestone  with  Squire  Wriggs,  after 
you  ran  away.  He  went  over  again  last  night, 


106  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

after  he  came  from  the  city,  and  I  haven't  seen 
him  for  more  than  a  moment  since." 

"  He  is  going  to  send  me  to  the  court-house," 
said  Xoddy,  fully  satisfied  that  Bertha  knew  noth 
ing  about  the  proceedings  of  her  father.  "I  am 
going  to  sea,  now." 

"To  sea,  Xoddy?" 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  to  work  and  win,  as  you  told 
me,  and  when  I  come  back  I  shall  be  respectable." 

Bertha  had  her  doubts  on  this  point.  She  had 
almost  lost  all  hope  of  her  proteyr,  and  she  did 
not  think  that  a  voyage  in  the  forecastle  of  a  ship 
would  be  likely  to  improve  his  manners  or  his 
morals. 

"  I  can't  let  you  go,  Noddy,"   said  she. 

"  I  must  go  ;  if  I  stay  here  they  will  put  me  in 
prison.  You  don't  want  to  see  me  put  in  prison, 
Bertha." 

"  I  don't." 

"  Then  what  can  I  do  ?  The  officers  are  after 
me  this  moment." 

"  But  I  shall  have  to  tell  my  father  that  I  have 
seen  you." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  107 

"  You  may  do  that ;  and  you  may  tell  him,  too, 
that  it  won't  be  any  use  for  him  to  try  to  find  me, 
for  I  shall  keep  out  of  the  way.  If  they  catch  me 
they  will  be  smarter  than  I  am,"  added  Noddy, 
confidently. 

"  I  want  to  see  you  again,  Noddy,  after  I  have 
talked  with  father  about  you.  I  don't  believe  he 
intends  to  send  you  to  prison." 

'*  I  know  he  does.  I  come  over  here  to  see  you 
before  I  went  away.  I  couldn't  go  without  seeing 
you,  or  I  shouldn't  have  come.  I  may  never  see  you 
again,  for  I  shan't  run  any  more  risks  after  this." 

Bertha  said  all  she  could  to  induce  him  to  meet 
her  again  ;  but  the  cunning  youth  was  afraid  that 
some  trap  might  be  set  to  catch  him,  and  he  assured 
'her  that  this  was  positively  his  last  appearance  at 
Woodville  for  the  present.  He  was  satisfied  that  Mr. 
Grant  had  taken  the  case  into  his  own  hands,  and 
that  she  could  not  save  him  if  she  would. 

"  Now,  good  by,  Miss  Bertha,"  said  he,  wiping 
a  tear  from  his  face. 

"  Don't  go,  Noddy,"  pleaded  she. 

"  I  must." 


108  WORK  AKD   WIN,  OK 

"  You  haven't  any  clothes  but  those  you  have 
on,  and  you  have  no  money." 

"  I  don't  want  any.  I  can  get  along  very  well. 
Won't  you  shake  hands  with  me  before  I  go  ? " 

"  Certainly,  I  will,"  replied  she,  giving  him  her 
hand.  "  You  will  not  let  me  do  anything  for  you 
now  ?  " 

"  You  have  done  more  than  I  deserve.  Good  by, 
Miss  Bertha,"  said  he,  pressing  the  hand  he  held. 

"  Good  by,  Noddy,"  replied  she.  "  Good  by, 
if  you  must  go.*' 

"  There  comes  your  father,"  exclaimed  he,  as 
he  bounded  off  into  the  grove  with  the  speed  of 
an  antelope. 

"  Was  that  Noddy  ? "  asked  Mr.  Grant,  as  he 
joined  Bertha  a  few  minutes  later. 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  he  was  here,  Bertha  ? " 

"  He  came  but  a  few  moments  ago.  He  came 
to  bid  me  good  by." 

"  Where  is  he  going  ?  " 

"  He  is  going  to  sea.  He  says  you  intend  to 
take  him  to  the  court-house." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  109 

"  This  is  very  unfortunate.  A  most  remarkable 
»vrent  in  regard  to  the  boy  has  occurred,  which  I 
haven't  time  to  tell  you  about  now.  It  is  very 
important  that  I  should  find  him  at  once." 

"  I  don't  think  you  can  catch  him.  He  is  very 
much  afraid  of  being  sent  to  prison." 

"  I  had  no  intention  of  sending  him  to  prison," 
laughed  Mr.  Grant. 

"  But  he  heard  Squire  Wriggs  say  he  must  take 
him  over  to  the  court/' 

"  That  was  for  another  matter  —  in  a  word,  to 
have  a  guardian  appointed,  for  Noddy  will  be  a 
rich  man  when  he  is  of  age." 

"  Noddy  ? "    exclaimed  Bertha. 

**  Yes  ;  but  I  haven't  a  moment  to  spare.  I 
have  been  at  work  on  his  affairs  since  yesterday 
morning.  They  are  all  right  now ;  and  all  we 
want  to  enable  us  to  complete  the  business  is  the 
presence  of  the  boy." 

"  Poor  fellow  !     He  is  terribly  worked  up  at  the 
idea    of    going    to    the    court-house,   or   even    to    a 
tinker's    shop,   as   he    calls   it." 
10 


110  WORK     AND     WIN.     OR 

'*  Well,  he  is  running  away  from  his  own  fortune 
and  happiness  :  and  I  must  find  him."' 

M  I  hope  you  will,  father,"  said  Bertha,  earnestly, 
as  Mr.  Grant  hastened  away  to  organize  a  pursuit 
of  the  refugee. 

All  the  male  servants  on  the  place  were  sum 
moned,  and  several  started  off  in  the  direction  in 
which  Noddy  had  retreated.  The  boatman  and 
others  were  sent  off  in  the  boats ;  and  the  pros 
pect  was.  that  the  fugitive  would  be  captured  within 
a  few  hours.  As  our  story  relates  more  especially 
to  the  runaway  himself,  we  shall  follow  him.  and 
leave  the  well-meaning  people  of  Woodville  to  pur 
sue  their  investigations  alone. 

When  Noddy  discovered  Mr.  Grant,  he  was  sat 
isfied  that  the  gentleman  saw  him,  for  he  quick 
ened  his  pace,  and  walked  towards  the  place  where 
he  stood  holding  Bertha's  hand.  He  ran  with  all 
his  might  by  the  familiar  paths  till  he  reached  the 
Glen.  There  were,  at  present,  no  signs  of  a  pur 
suit  ;  but  he  was  confident  that  it  would  not  be 
delayed,  and  he  did  not  even  stop  to  take  breath. 
Rushing  down  to  the  water,  he  embarked  in  the 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE  111 

skiff,  and  rowed  up  the  river,  taking  care  to  keep 
in  shore,  where  he  could  not  be  .seen  from  below. 

Above  Van  Alstine's  Island,  he  crossed  the  river, 
and  began  to  work  his  way  down ;  but  the  white 
sails  of  the  Greyhound  were  seen,  with  all  the  boats 
belonging  to  the  estate,  headed  up  stream.  They 
were  chasing  him  in  earnest,  and  he  saw  that  it 
was  not  safe  to  remain  on  the  river. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Mr.  Grover  lives  ? "  he 
asked  of  a  ragged  boy  who  was  fishing  on  the 
bank  of  the  river. 

"  Below   Whitestone  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Will  you  take  this  boat  down  there  ? " 

"  I  will,"  replied  the  boy,  glad  of  the  job,  and 
willing  to  do  it  without  any  compensation. 

Noddy  had  taken  off  the  tights  belonging  to  the 
circus  company,  and  rolled  them  up  in  a  bundle. 
In  order  to  be  as  honest  as  Bertha  had  taught 
him  to  be,  —  though  he  was  not  always  so  partic 
ular,  —  he  engaged  the  boy  to  leave  them  at  the 
circus  tent. 

The   boy  got   into   the  boat,  and   began   his   trip 


112  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

down  the  river.  Noddy  felt  that  he  had  been  hon 
est,  and  he  was  rather  proud  of  the  record  he  was 
to  leave  behind  him ;  for  it  did  not  once  occur  to 
him  that  borrowing  the  boat  without  leave  was 
only  a  little  better  than  stealing  it,  even  if  he  did 
return  it. 

The  servants  at  Woodville  and  the  constables  at 
Whitestone  were  on  his  track,  and  he  had  no  time 
to  spare.  Taking  a  road  leading  from  the  river, 
he  walked  away  from  it  as  fast  as  he  could. 
About  three  miles  distant,  he  found  a  road  leading 
to  the  northward ;  and  thinking  it  better  to  suffer 
by  excess  of  prudence  than  by  the  want  of  it,  he 
took  this  direction,  and  pursued  his  journey  till  he 
was  so  tired  he  could  go  no  farther. 

A  farmer  on  the  road  gave  him  some  dinner ; 
and  when  he  had  rested  himself,  he  resumed  his 
walk.  At  sunset  he  reached  a  large  town  on  the 
river,  where  he  felt  safe  from  pursuit  until  he  saw 
the  flaming  handbills  of  the  Great  Olympian  Cir 
cus,  wrhich  was  almost  as  bad  as  meeting  one  of 
the  constables,  for  these  worthies  would  expect  to 
find  him  at  the  tent,  and  probably  were  on  the 
watch  for  him- 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  113 

Noddy  was  too  tired  to  walk  any  farther  that 
day.  He  wanted  to  reach  some  large  seaport,  like 
New  York  or  Boston,  where  he  could  find  a  ves 
sel  bound  on  a  foreign  voyage.  He  was  almost 
afraid  to  go  to  the  former  city,  for  he  had  heard 
about  the  smart  detectives  they  have  there,  who 
catch  any  person  guilty  of  a  crime,  though  they 
never  saw  him  before.  He  had  told  Bertha  that 
he  intended  to  go  to  sea ;  and  he  was  afraid  that 
Mr.  Grant  would  be  on  the  watch  for  him,  or  set 
some  of  these  detectives  to  catch  him,  if  he  went 
there. 

It  wras  almost  time  for  the  steamers  for  Albany, 
which  went  up  in  the  night,  to  reach  the  town, 
and  he  determined  to  go  on  board  of  one,  and 
proceed  as  far  up  the  river  as  he  could  with  the 
small  sum  of  money  in  his  possession.  He  soon 
found  the  landing-place,  and  presently  a  steamer 
came  along. 

"  Where  do  you  want  to  go,  boy  ? "  asked  one 
of  the  officers  of  the  boat. 

"I  want  to  go  to  Albany;  but  I  haven't  money 
enough  to  pay  my  fare." 
10* 


114  WORK     AND     AVHST,    OK 

"  How  much  money  have  you  got  ?  " 
"  Thirty-five  cents.     I  will  go  as  far  as  that  will 
pay  my  fare." 

"  That  will  only  be  to  the  next  landing-place." 
"  Couldn't  you  give  me  some  work  to  do,  to  pay 
my  fare  up  to  Albany  r  " 

The  officer  happened  to  be  rather  pleased  with 
Noddy,  and  told  him  he  might  stand  by  and  help 
land  the  baggage  at  the  stopping-places.  He  gave 
the  little  wanderer  some  supper  in  the  mess-room, 
after  the  boat  got  off,  and  Noddy  was  as  grateful 
as  though  the  man  had  given  him  a  gold  mine. 
When  the  steamer  made  another  landing,  he 
worked  with  all  his  might,  and  was  highly  com 
mended  for  his  skill  and  activity. 

And  so  he  passed  the  night,  sleeping  between 
the  stoppages,  and  working  like  a  mule  at  every 
landing.  In  the  morning  the  boat  reached  Al 
bany,  and  the  officer  gave  him  his  breakfast  with 
the  engineers.  Noddy  felt  safe  from  pursuit  now ; 
he  went  on  shore,  and  walked  about  the  city, 
thinking  what  he  should  do  next. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  115 


CHAPTER     IX. 

AN     ATTEMPT     TO     WORK    AND     WIN. 

BOSTON  was  two  hundred  miles  distant,  and  Noddy 
was  principally  excited  to  know  how  he  should  get 
there,  for  he  had  decided  to  ship  in  that  city.  It 
would  take  him  a  week  to  go  on  foot,  and  his 
funds  were  now  completely  exhausted,  so  that  he 
could  not  pay  his  fare  by  railroad.  If  he  could 
neither  ride  nor  walk,  the  question  was  narrowed 
down  to  a  point  where  it  needed  no  further  con 
sideration. 

"  Here,  boy,  do  you  want  a  job  ?  "  said  a  gentle 
man,  coming  out  of  a  dwelling  with  a  valise  and  a 
large  bundle  in  his  hands. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Noddy, 
springing  forward,  and  taking  the  heavier  articles, 
without  giving  the  gentleman  the  trouble  to  state 
what  he  wanted  of  him. 


116  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

This  incident  seemed  to  solve  the  problem  for 
him.  He  could  remain  in  Albany  long  enough  to 
earn  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  pay  his  fare  to 
Boston.  He  followed  the  gentleman  to  the  railroad 
station,  and  handed  the  valise  to  the  baggage- 
master.  The  gentleman  gave  him  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar  for  his  services.  It  was  a  liberal  return  for 
the  short  time  he  had  been  employed,  and  a  few 
more  such  jobs  as  that  would  soon  put  him  in 
funds. 

Noddy  was  sanguine  now  that  he  could  earn, 
money  with  entire  ease,  and  all  the  difficulties  which 
had  beset  him  began  to  disappear.  There  was 
something  exceedingly  pleasant  in  the  idea  of  being 
independent ;  of  putting  his  hand  into  his  pocket 
and  always  finding  some  money  there  which  had 
been  earned  by  his  own  labor.  It  was  a  novel  sen 
sation  to  him. 

"  Work  and  win !  "  exclaimed  he,  as  he  walked 
out  of  the  railroad  station.  "  I  understand  it  all 
now,  and  I  may  thank  Miss  Bertha  for  the  idea." 

In  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment,  he  began  to 
consider  whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  remain 


NODDY     XEWMAX     OX     A     CRUISE.  117 

on  shore  and  amass  a  fortune,  which  he  believed 
could  be  done  in  a  short  time.  He  could  carry 
bundles  and  valises  till  he  got  money  enough  to 
buy  a  horse  and  wagon,  when  he  could  go  into  the 
business  on  a  more  extensive  scale.  The  road  to 
fortune  was  open  to  him  ;  all  his  trials  and  difficul 
ties  had  suddenly  vanished,  and  he  had  only  to 
reach  out  his  hand  to  pluck  the  golden  harvest. 

The  rattling  of  a  train  which  had  just  arrived 
disturbed  this  pleasant  dream,  and  Noddy  hastened 
back  to  secure  the  fruit  of  his  brilliant  resolution. 
There  were  plenty  of  gentlemen  with  bags  and 
valises  in  their  hands,  but  not  a  single  one  of  them 
wanted  any  assistance  ;  and  some  of  them  answered 
his  civil  salutation  with  insult  and  harshness.  The 
experiment  did  not  work  so  well  as  he  had  antici 
pated,  for  Noddy's  great  expectations  led  him  to 
believe  that  he  should  make  about  half  a  dollar  out 
of  the  arrival  of  this  train,  instead  of  which  he  did 
not  make  a  single  cent. 

"  Work  and  win ;  but  where  are  you  going  to 
get  your  work?"  said  Noddy  to  himself. 

No  more    trains  were    to  arrive    for    some    hours, 


118  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

and  he  posted  himself  in  the  street,  asking  for  a 
job  whenever  there  was  the  least  prospect  of  obtain 
ing  one.  At  noon,  Noddy  was  hungry,  and  was 
obliged  to  spend  half  his  morning's  earnings  for  a 
coarse  dinner,  for  his  circumstances  did  not  permit 
him  to  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  roast  beef  and 
plum  pudding.  During  the  afternoon  he  lay  in 
wait  for  a  job  at  the  railroad  stations,  and  in  the 
most  public  places  of  the  city.  But  the  sum  of 
his  earnings  was  only  five  cents. 

"  Work  and  win  !  "  said  lie.  "  Sum  total  of 
day's  work,  thirty  cents  ;  not  enough  to  buy  what  I 
want  to  eat.  It  don't  pay." 

If  work  did  not  pay,  stealing  certainly  would  not ; 
and  we  are  happy  to  say,  Bertha  Grant  had  done 
her  duty  by  him  so  faithfully,  that  he  did  not  feel 
tempted  to  resort  to  any  irregular  means  of  obtain 
ing  a  subsistence.  If  work  did  not  pay,  it  was 
only  because  he  could  not  obtain  it.  He  had  not 
yet  struck  a  productive  vein.  He  had  been  a  fish 
ing  a  great  many  times ;  but  when  he  had  no 
success,  he  neither  concluded  that  fish  were  not 
good,  nor  that  there  were  no  fish  in  the  river. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  119 

There  was  a  train  to  arrive,  after  dark,  from  New 
York  city,  and  he  determined  to  make  one  more 
effort  to  improve  his  fortunes.  As  the  passengers 
came  out  of  the  station  with  small  parcels  of  bag 
gage  in  their  hands,  he  offered  his  services  to  them. 
His  heart  almost  leaped  with  rapture  when  a  gen 
tleman  handed  him  a  small  carpet-bag,  and  told  him 
to  follow  to  the  Dclavan  House.  He  took  the  bag. 
and  then,  to  his  horror,  he  discovered  that  the  gen 
tleman  was  Mr.  Grant  ! 

What  had  brought  him  to  Albany  ?  As  Noddy's 
sphere  of  observation  was  confined  to  the  little 
world  of  his  own  affairs,  he  concluded  that  the 
owner  of  \Voodville  must  be  there  for  the  purpose 
of  arresting  him.  Probably  some  of  those  smart 
constables  had  traced  him  to  the  town  where  he 
had  embarked  for  Albany.  Again  the  horrors  of 
the  court-house,  the  jail,  and  the  tinker's  shop  were 
present  to  his  mind.  He  had  taken  the  valise,  and 
was  now  following  Mr.  Grant  to  the  hotel.  It  was 
dark  at  the  place  where  he  had  received  the  carpet 
bag,  otherwise  he  would  have  been  recognized. 

Noddy  had  no  doubt  in  regard  to  the  correctness 


120  WORK     AXD     WIX,     OR 

of  his  conclusions  ;  and  he  could  not  help  thinking 
that  a  great  man,  like  Mr.  Grant,  was  taking  a  good 
deal  of  pains  to  capture  a  poor  boy,  like  him.  His 
arrest  was  a  matter  of  a  great  deal  more  conse 
quence  than  he  had  supposed,  which  made  it  all 
the  more  necessary  to  his  future  peace  and  happi 
ness  that  he  should  escape.  The  bag  tied  him  to 
his  persecutor,  or  he  would  have  run  away  as  fast 
as  he  could.  He  could  not  carry  off  the  baggage, 
for  that  would  subject  him  to  another  penalty,  even 
if  he  had  been  dishonest  enough  to  do  such  a  thing. 
He  decided  to  follow  Mr.  Grant  to  the  hotel,  drop 
the  bag,  and  run. 

"  Boy,  do  you  know  where  the  police  office  is?" 
said  Mr.  Grant,  suddenly  turning  round  upon  him. 

•**  No,  sir,"  replied  Noddy,  whose  natural  boldness 
prompted  him,  when  fairly  cornered,  to  face  the 
danger. 

"What!  Noddy?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Grant.  "I 
came  to  look  for  you." 

"  Thank   you,  sir,"  replied  Noddy. 

"  You  were  a  foolish  fellow  to  run  away.  I'm 
not  going  to  hurt  you ;  neither  is  anybody  else." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  121 

Noddy  was  not  a  little  astonished  to  find  Mr. 
Grant,  in  his  own  homely  terms,  "  trying  it  on  "  in 
this  manner.  It  was  not  strange  that  the  constable, 
or  even  Squire  Wriggs,  should  resort  to  decep 
tion  to  entrap  him;  but  he  was  not  quite  pre 
pared  for  it  from  the  upright  proprietor  of  Wood- 
ville.  If  he  was  wanted  "  bad  enough "  to  induce 
a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  position  to  make  a 
journey  to  Albany  after  him,  it  was  the  very  best 
reason  in  the  world  why  he  should  get  out  of  the 
way  as  soon  as  possible. 

"  How  is  Miss  Bertha,  sir  ? "  asked  Noddy,  who 
did  not  know  what  else  to  say. 

tk  She  is  quite  well,  and  feels  very  badly  now  at 
your  absence.  You  have  made  a  great  mistake, 
Noddy,"  replied  Mr.  Grant. 

"  Is  Miss  Fanny  pretty  well,  sir  ?  " 

"  Very  well.  We  don't  wish  to  injure  you,  or 
even  to  punish  you,  for  setting  the  boat-house  on  fire. 
The  worst  that  I  shall  do  will  be  to  send  you  —  " 

"  Is  Ben  any  better  than  he  was  ? "  continued 
Noddy,  fully  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  in  regard  to 
the  last  remark. 

11 


1S.J?  WORK     AND    WIN,     OR 

"  Ben  is  very  well,"  said  Mr.  Grant,  impatiently. 
"  Now,  you  will  come  with  me,  Noddy,  and  not  try 
to  run  away  again." 

"  How  is  Mrs.  Green  and  the  rest  of  the 
folks  ? "  asked  Noddy,  fully  resolved  that  even 
Mr.  Grant  should  not  "  pull  wool  over  his  eyes," 
as  he  quaintly  expressed  his  view  of  this  attempt 
to  deceive  him. 

"  She  is  well.  Now  come  with  me,  Noddy.  I 
will  give  you  a  good  supper,  and  you  shall  have 
everything  you  need.  Your  circumstances  have 
changed  now,  and  you  will  be  a  rich  man  when 
you  are  of  age." 

"  Have  you  heard  from  Mr.  Richard  lately,  sir  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  Richard,  now.  Come  with  me, 
Noddy.  If  you  attempt  to  run  away  again,  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  hand  you  over  to  a  policeman." 

That  looked  much  more  like  it,  in  Noddy's 
opinion,  and  he  had  no  doubt  of  Mr.  Grant's 
entire  sincerity  in  the  last  remark. 

"  I  will  follow  you,  sir,"  replied  Noddy,  though 
he  did  not  intend  *p  continue  on  this  route  much 
farther. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  123 

"  You  understand  that  I  am  your  friend,  Noddy, 
and  that  no  harm  shall  come  to  you." 

"  Yes,  sir ;    I  understand  that." 

"  Come  here  now,  and  walk  by  n\y  side.  I  don't 
want  to  call  a  policeman  to  take  charge  of  you." 

Noddy  did  not  want  him  to  do  so  either,  and  did 
not  intend  that  he  should.  He  placed  himself  by 
the  side  of  his  powerful  persecutor,  as  he  still  re 
garded  him,  and  they  walked  together  towards  the 
hotel.  The  young  refugee  was  nervous  and  uneasy, 
and  watched  with  the  utmost  diligence  for  an 
opportunity  to  slip  away.  As  they  were  crossing  a 
street,  a  hack,  approaching  rapidly,  caused  Mr.  Grant 
to  quicken  his  pace  in  order  to  avoid  being  run 
over.  Noddy,  burdened  with  the  weight  of  the 
carpet-bag,  did  not  keep  up  with  him,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  fall  back  to  escape  the  carriage. 

"  Here,  boy,  you  take  this  bag,  and  follow  the 
owner  to  the  hotel,  and  he  will  give  you  some 
thing,"  said  Noddy  to  a  ragged  boy  at  the  corner 
of  the  street. 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he  darted  down 
the  cross  street,  and  made  his  best  time  in  the 
rush  for  liberty. 


124  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

The  boy,  to  whom  Noddy  had  given  the  bag,  ran 
over  the  street,  and  placed  himself  behind  Mr. 
Grant,  whom  he  judged  to  be  the  owner  of  the 
baggage. 

"  Where  is  the  other  boy  ? "  demanded  Mr. 
Grant. 

"  Gone  down  State  Street  to  find  ten  cents  he 
lost  there,"  replied  the  wicked  boy.  "  I'll  carry 
your  bag,  sir." 

"  But  I  want  the  boy  !  Which  way  did  he  go  V 
said  Mr.  Grant,  in  hurried  tones. 

"  Down  there,  sir.  His  mother'll  lick  him  if  he 
don't  find  the  ten  cents  he  lost.  I'll  carry  the 
bag." 

But  Mr.  Grant  was  unwilling  to  trust  his  property 
to  the  hands  of  such  a  boy,  and  he  immediately 
reclaimed  it. 

"  I  want  that  boy  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Grant,  in 
great  agitation.  "  Which  way  did  he  go  ? " 

"  Down  there,"  replied  the  ragged  boy,  pointing 
down  a  street  in  exactly  the  opposite  direction  from 
that  taken  by  the  fugitive. 

But  Mr.   Grant    was    too    wise  a  man    to    follow. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  125 

He  was  in  search  of  a  policeman  just  then.  As 
these  worthy  functionaries  are  never  at  hand  when 
they  are  wanted,  of  course  he  did  not  find  one. 
He  called  a  carriage,  and  ordered  the  driver  to 
convey  him  with  all  speed,  and  at  double  fare,  to 
the  police  office.  On  his  arrival,  he  immediately 
stated  his  business,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  whole 
police  force  of  the  city  were  on  the  lookout  for  poor 
Noddy  Newman. 

The  oljcct  of  all  this  friendly  solicitude  was  un 
conscious  of  the  decided  steps  taken  by  Mr.  Grant ; 
but  he  ran  till  he  had  placed  a  safe  distance  between 
himself  and  his  potent  oppressor.  He  saw  plenty 
of  policemen  in  his  flight,  but  he  paid  no  attention 
to  them,  nor  even  thought  what  a  powerful  combi 
nation  they  formed  against  a  weak  boy  like  himself. 
He  was  satisfied,  however,  that  he  must  leave  the 
city ;  and  when  he  was  out  of  breath  with  running, 
he  walked  as  nearly  on  a  straight  course  as  the 
streets  would  permit,  till  he  reached  the  outskirts 
of  the  city. 

"  Stop    that    heifer ! "    shouted    a   man,  who  was 
chasing  the  animal. 
11* 


126  WORK     AXD     AVIN,     OR 

Noddy  headed  her  off,  and  she  darted  away  in 
another  direction.  Our  refugee  was  interested  in 
the  case  at  once ;  for  he  could  not  permit  any 
horned  beast  to  circumvent  him.  He  ran  as  though 
he  had  not  run  before  that  evening,  and  brought 
the  wayward  animal  up  in  a  corner,  when  the  man 
came  to  his  assistance. 

"  You  are  a  smart  boy,"   said  the  drover. 

"That's  so,"  puffed  Noddy,  modestly. 

"  If  you  haven't  got  nothin  better  to  do,  I'll 
make  it  wuth  your  while  to  help  drive  these  cattle 
down  to  the  keers,"  added  the  man. 

As  Nod*ly  had  nothing  better  to  do,  he  at  once 
accepted  the  offer,  without  even  stipulating  the 
price.  They  started  the  heifer  again,  and  she  con 
cluded  to  join  the  drove  which  was  in  the  adjoining 
street.  It  was  no  easy  matter  to  drive  the  animals, 
which  were  not  accustomed  to  the  ways  of  the 
city,  through  the  streets,  and  Noddy  Avon  a  great 
deal  of  credit  for  the  vigor  and  agility  with  which 
he  discharged  his  duty.  They  reached  the  ferry 
boat,  and  crossing,  came  to  the  "  keers,"  into  Avhich 
the  young  drover  assisted  in  loading  the  cattle. 


NODDY     XEWMAX     OX     A     CRUISE.  121 

His  employer  gave  him  a  quarter  oi  a  dollar* 
which  hardly  came  up  to  Noddy's  expectations ;  101 
it  seemed  to  him  like  working  very  hard,  and 
winning  very  little  for  it.  The  man  asked  him 
some  questions  about  his  home.  Noddy  told 
as  much  of  the-  truth  as  suited  his  purpose,  and 
concluded  by  saying  he  wanted  to  get  to  Boston, 
where  he  could  find  something  to  do. 

"  O,  you  want  sunthin  to  do  —  do  ye?"  replied 
the  drover.  kk  Well,  I'll  give  you  your  victuals,  and 
what  clothes  you  want,  to  help  me  drive." 

This  was  not  exactly  Noddy's  idea  of  "  work  and 
win,"  and  he  told  the  drover  he  wanted  to  gtf 
to  sea. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do.  You  may  go  down 
to  Brighton,  and  help  take  keer  of  the  cattle  in 
the  keers,  and  I'll  take  keer  of  you  on  the  way." 

Noddy  was  more  than  satisfied  with  all  these 
"  keers,"  and  he  promptly  accepted  the  offer.  In 
half  an  hour  the  train  started,  and  he  was  on  the 
way  to  Brighton,  \vhich  is  only  a  few  miles  from 
Boston. 


128  WORK     AND     WIN,     OB 


CHAPTER     X. 

POOR     MOLLIE. 

NODDY'S  duty  on  the  journey  to  Brighton  was  to 
assist  in  keeping  the  cattle  on  their  feet.  When 
the  poor  animals  become  weary,  they  are  disposed 
to  lie  down ;  but  they  are  so  closely  packed  that 
this  is  not  possible  for  more  than  one  or  two  in  a 
car ;  and  if  one  lies  down  he  is  liable  to  be  tram 
pled  to  death  by  the  others.  The  persons  in  charge 
of  the  cattle,  therefore,  are  obliged  to  watch  them,, 
and  keep  them  on  their  feet. 

The  train  occasionally  stopped  during  the  night, 
and  was  several  times  delayed,  so  that  it  did  not 
reach  its  destination  till  the  middle  of  the  follow 
ing  forenoon.  The  drover  provided  him  a  hearty 
breakfast  in  the  morning,  and  Noddy  was  in  no 
haste.  The  future  was  still  nothing  but  a  blank 
to  him,  and  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  commence  the 
battle  of  life. 


NODDY    M:WMAX    ox    A    CRFISE.  129 

AVhen  he  arrived  at  Brighton  lie  assisted  in  driv 
ing  the  cattle  to  the  pens ;  and  then,  with  half  a 
dollar,  which  the  drover  gave  him  for  his  extra 
services,  he  started  for  Boston,  whose  spires  he 
could  even  then  see  in  the  distance.  He  reached 
the  city,  and  from  the  Mill  Dam  —  the  long  bridge 
he  had  just  crossed  —  he  walked  to  the  Common. 
Being  quite  worn  out  by  two  nights  of  hard  work, 
and  the  long  walk  he  had  just  taken,  he  seated 
himself  on  one  of  the  stone  benches  near  the  Frog 
Pond.  It  was  a  warm  and  pleasant  day,  and  he 
watched  the  sports  of  the  happy  children  who  were 
at  play,  until  his  eyelids  grew  heavy,  and  hs  n.iidly 
knew  the  State  House  from  the  Big  Tree. 

For  a  boy  of  his  age  he  had  undergone  a  severe 
experience.  The  exciting  circumstances  which  sur 
rounded  him  had  kept  him  wide  awake  until  his 
physical  nature  could  endure  no  more.  Leaving 
the  seat  he  hau  occupied,  he  sought  out  the  quiet 
est  place  he  could  find,  and  stretching  himself  on 
the  grass,  went  to  sleep. 

It  was  nearly  sunset  when  he  awoke ;  but  he  felt 
like  a  new  being,  ready  now  to  work  and  win  at 


130  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

any  business  which  might  offer.  He  wandered 
about  the  streets  of  the  city  for  two  hours,  and 
then  ate  a  hearty  supper  at  a  restaurant.  It  was 
too  late  to  do  anything  that  night,  and  he  asked  a 
policeman  to  tell  him  where  he  could  sleep.  The 
officer,  finding 'he  was  a  friendless  stranger,  gave 
him  a  bed  at  the  station-house. 

In  the  morning  he  made  his  way  to  the  wharves, 
and  during  the  long  day  he  went  from  vessel  to 
vessel  'in  search  of  a  berth  as  cabin-boy.  He 
asked  for  this  situation,  because  he  had  frequently 
heard  the  term ;  but  he  was  willing  to  accept  any 
position  he  could  obtain.  No  one  wanted  a  cabin- 
boy,  or  so  small  a  sailor  as  he  Avas.  Night  came 
on  again,  with  a  hopeless  prospect  for  the  future ; 
and  poor  Noddy  began  to  question  the  wisdom  of 
the  course  he  had  taken.  A  tinker's  shop,  with 
plenty  to  eat,  and  a  place  to  sleep,  was  certainly 
much  better  than  wandering  about  the  streets. 

He  could  not  help  thinking  of  Woodville,  and 
the  pleasant  room  he  had  occupied  in  the  servants' 
quarters  ;  of  the  bountiful  table  at  which  he  had 
eat;  and,  above  all,  of  the  kindness  and  care 


NODDY    NEWMAN      ON     A     CRUISE.  \31 

which  Miss  Bertha  had  always  bestowed  upon  him. 
With  all  his  heart  he  wished  he  was  there ;  but 
when  he  thought  of  the  court-house  and  the  prison, 
he  was  more  reconciled  to  his  fate,  and  was  de 
termined  to  persevere  in  his  efforts  to  obtain  work. 

It  was  the  close  of  a  long  summer  day.  He 
had  been  wandering  about  the  wharves  at  the 
north  part  of  the  city ;  and  as  the  darkness  came 
on,  he  walked  up  Hanover  Street  in  search  of  a 
policeman,  who  would  give  him  permission  to  sleep 
another  night  in  the  station-house.  As  he  did  not 
readily  find  one,  he  turned  into  another  street.  It 
made  but  little  difference  to  him  where  he  went, 
for  he  had  no  destination,  and  he  was  as  likely  to 
find  a  policeman  in  one  place  as  another. 

He  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  before  he  saw 
a  crowd  of  ragged  boys  pursuing  and  hooting  at 
a  drunken  man  who  was  leading  a  little  girl  ten 
or  eleven  years  of  age,  —  or  rather,  she  was  trying 
to  lead  him.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  we  are 
afraid  that  Noddy  would  have  joined  the  raga* 
muffins,  and  enjoyed  the  senseless  sport  as  well 
as  any  of  them ;  but  his  own  sorrows  raised  him 


132  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

above  this  meanness  in  the  present  instance,  and 
he  passed  the  boys  without  a  particle  of  interest 
in  the  fun. 

He  was  going  by  the  drunken  man  and  the  little 
girl,  when  one  of  the  boldest  of  the  pursuers 
rushed  up  and  gave  the  man  a  push,  which  caused 
him  to  fall  on  the  pavement.  The  young  vaga 
bonds  raised  a  chorus  of  laughter,  and  shouted  with 
all  their  might.  The  little  girl,  who  was  evidently 
the  drunkard's  daughter,  did  not  desert  him.  She 
bent  over  him,  and  used  all  her  feeble  powers  to 
assist  him  to  his  feet  again. 

"  My  poor  father  !  "  sobbed  she  ;  and  her  heart 
seemed  to  be  broken  by  the  grief  and  peril  which 
surrounded  her. 

The  tones  with  which  these  words  were  spoken 
touched  the  heart  of  Noddy ;  and  without  stopping 
to  consider  any  troublesome  questions,  he  sprang 
to  the  assistance  of  the  girl.  The  man  was  not 
utterly  helpless ;  and  with  the  aid  of  Noddy  and 
his  daughter  he  got  upon  his  feet  again.  At  that 
moment  another  of  the  unruly  boys,  emboldened 
by  the  feat  of  the  first,  rushed  up  and  grasped  the 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON    A     CRUISE.  133 

arm  of  the  little  girl,  as  if  to   pull  her  away  from 
her  father's  support. 

"  Don't  touch  me  !  Don't  touch  me  !  "  pleaded 
the  grief- stricken  girl,  in  tones  so  full  of  sorrow 
that  our  wanderer  could  not  resist  them,  if  her 
vagabond  persecutor  could. 

He  sprang  to  her  assistance,  and  with  one  vigor 
ous  and  well-directed  blow,  he  knocked  the  rude 
assailant  half  way  across  the  street,  and  left  him 
sprawling  on  the  pavement.  Noddy  did  not  wait 
to  sec  what  the  boy  would  do  next,  but  turned 
his  attention  to  the  poor  girl,  whose  situation, 
rather  than  that  of  her  father,  had  awakened  his 
sympathy. 

"  What  is  your  father's  name  ? "  asked  Noddy, 
who  proceeded  as  though  he  had  a  sovereign  rem 
edy  for  the  miseries  of  the  situation. 

"  Captain  McOlintock,"  sobbed  the  little  girl, 
still  clinging  to  her  father,  with  no  sting  of  re 
proach  in  her  words  or  her  manner. 

"  Don't    cry,    little    girl  ;    I    will    do    what    I    can 
for  you,"   said  Noddy,  warmly.     "  I  can  lick  those 
boys,  if  I  can't  do  anything  more." 
12 


134  AYOliK     AXD     WIN,     OK 

"  Thank  you ! ''  replied  the  afflicted  daughter. 
"  If  I  can  only  get  him  down  to  the  vessel,  I 
shall  be  so  glad  !  " 

"  Want  to  fight  r "  shouted  the  young  ruffian, 
whom  Noddy  had  upset,  coming  as  near  the  party 
as  he  dared. 

"  I'll  give  you  fight,  if  you  come  near  me 
again,"  replied  the  champion  of  the  poor  girl. 

"  Come  on,  if  you  want  to  fight,"  cried  the  little 
bully,  who  had  not  the  pluck  to  approach  within 
twenty  feet  of  his  late  assailant. 

The  crowd  of  boys  still  shouted,  and  some  of 
them  carried  their  hostility  so  far  as  to  throw  sticks 
and  stones  at  the  little  party  ;  but  as  long  as  they 
kept  at  a  respectful  distance,  Noddy  did  not  deem 
it  wise  to  meddle  with  them,  though  he  kept  one 
eye  on  them,  and  stood  ready  to  punish  those  who 
ventured  too  near. 

"  Come,  Captain  McClintock,"  said  he,  as  he  at 
tempted  to  lead  the  drunken  father,  "  let's  go  on 
board." 

"  Heave  ahead,  my  hearty  !  "  replied  the  captain, 
as  he  pressed  forward,  though  his  steps  were  so 


NODDY     NEWMAN      ON     A    CRUISE.  135 

uncertain  that  his  two  feeble  supporters  could 
hardly  keep  him  on  his  feet. 

The  remarkable  trio  passed  down  Fleet  Street, 
and,  after  many  difficulties  and  much  "  rough 
weather,''  reached  the  head  of  the  wharf,  where 
the  little  girl  said  her  father's  vessel  lay.  They 
were  still  closely  followed  by  the  merciless  raga 
muffins,  who  had  pelted  them  with  stones  and 
sticks,  until  the  patience  of  Noddy  was  severely 
tried. 

"  Come,  my  boy,  now  we'll  —  hie  —  now  we'll 
go  and  —  hie  —  go  and  take  something  'fore  we  go 
on  board,"  said  the  drunken  captain,  suddenly  com 
ing  to  a  dead  halt  in  the  middle  of  the  street. 

"  O,  no,  father  !  "  cried  the  daughter ;  "  let  us 
go  on  board." 

"  Something  to  take,  Mollie,  and  you  shall  —  hie 
—  you  shall  have  some  —  hie  —  some  soda  water." 

"  I  don't  want  any,  father.     Do  come  on  board." 

"  You  are  a  good  girl,  Mollie,  and  you  shall  — 
hie  —  you  shall  have  some  cake." 

"  Not  to-night,  father.  We  will  get  it  in  the 
morning,"  pleaded  poor  Mollio,  trembling  with 


136  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

apprehension  for  the  consequences  which  must  fol 
low  another  glass  of  liquor. 

"  Come,  Captain  McClintock,  let's  go  on  board," 
said  Noddy. 

*'  Who  are  you  ?  "   demanded  the  inebriated  man. 

"  I'm  the  best  fellow  out ;  and  I  want  to  see 
your  vessel." 

"  You  shall  see  her,  my  boy.  If  you  are  —  hie 
—  the  best  fellow  out,  come  and  take  something 
with  me,"  stammered  the  captain. 

"  Let's  see  the  vessel  first,"  replied  Noddy,  tug 
ging  away  at  the  arm  of  the  drunken  man. 

"  She's  a  very  fine  —  hie  —  fine  vessel." 

"  Let  me  see  her,  then." 

"  Heave  ahead,  my  jolly  roebuck.  I've  got  some 
of  the  best  —  hie  —  on  board  zever  you  tasted. 
Come  along." 

Noddy  and  Mollie  kept  him  going  till  they 
reached  the  part  of  the  wharf  where  the  captain's 
vtssel  was  moored ;  and  the  end  of  their  troubles 
seemed  to  be  at  hand,  when  the  boys,  aware  that 
their  sport  was  nearly  over,  became  very  bold  and 
daring.  They  pressed  forward,  and  began  to  push 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  13? 

the  drunken  man,  until  they  roused  his  anger  to 
such  a  degree  that  he  positively  refused  to  go  on 
board  till  he  had  chastised  them  as  they  deserved. 
He  had  broken  away  from  his  feeble  protectors, 
and  in  attempting  to  pursue  them,  had  fallen  flat 
upon  the  planks  which  covered  the  wharf. 

Mollie  ran  to  his  assistance  ;  and  as  she  did 
so,  one  of  the  boys  pushed  her  over  upon  him. 
Noddy's  blood  was  up  in  earnest,  for  the  little 
girl's  suffering  made  her  sacred  in  his  eyes.  He 
leaped  upon  the  rude  boy,  bore  him  down,  and 
pounded  him  till  he  yelled  in  mortal  terror.  Some 
of  the  boldest  of  the  ragamuffins  came  to  his 
relief,  when  they  realized  how  hard  it  was  going 
with  him,  and  that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  only 
one  small  boy. 

Noddy  was  as  quick  as  a  flash  in  his  move 
ments,  and  he  turned  upon  the  crowd,  reckless  of 
consequences.  One  or  two  of  the  boys  showed 
fight ;  but  the  young  lion  tipped  them  over  before 
they  could  make  up  their  minds  how  to  attack 
him.  The  rest  ran  away.  Noddy  gave  chase,  and 
in  his  furious  wrath  felt  able  to  whip  the  whole 
12* 


138  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

of  them.  He  pursued  them  only  a  short  distance ; 
his  sympathy  for  poor  Mollie  got  the  better  even 
of  his  anger,  and  lie  hastened  back  to  her  side. 
As  he  turned,  the  cowardly  boys  turned  also,  and  a 
storm  of  such  missiles  as  the  wharf  afforded  was 
hurled  after  him. 

By  this  time  two  men  from  the  vessel  had  come 
to  the  assistance  of  the  captain,  and  raised  him  to 
his  feet.  He  was  still  full  of  vengeance,  and 
wanted  to  chastise  the  boys.  The  young  ruffians 
followed  Noddy  down  the  wharf,  and  he  was  com 
pelled,  in  self-defence,  to  turn  upon  them  again, 
and  in  presence  of  the  drunken  man  he  punished 
a  couple  of  them  pretty  severely.  One  of  the 
sailors  came  to  his  aid,  and  the  foe  was  again 
vanquished.  The  appearance  of  a  policeman  at  the 
head  of  the  wharf  now  paralyzed  their  efforts,  and 
they  disbanded  and  scattered. 

"  You  are  a  good  fellow ! "  exclaimed  Captain 
McClintock,  extending  his  hand  to  Noddy  as  he 
returned  to  the  spot. 

"  The  best  fellow  out,"  replied  the  little  hero, 
facetiously,  as  he  took  the  offered  hand. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  139 

"  So  you  be  !  Now  come  on  board,  and  —  hie 
• —  and  take  something." 

"  Thank  you,  captain.  I  should  like  to  go  on 
board  of  your  vessel." 

"  Come  along,  then,  my  jolly  fellow,"  added  the 
captain,  as  he  reeled  towards  the  vessel.  "  You  are 
a  smart  little  —  hie  —  you  are  a  smart  little  fellow. 
If  you  hadn't  —  hie  —  licked  them  boys,  I  should 
—  hie." 

Noddy  thought  he  did  "  hie ; "  but  with  the 
assistance  of  the  sailors,  the  captain  got  on  board, 
and  went  down  into  his  cabin.  His  first  movement 
was  to  bring  out  a  bottle  of  gin  and  a  couple  of 
glasses,  into  which  he  poured  a  quantity  of  the 
fiery  liquor.  He  insisted  that  Noddy  should  drink ; 
but  the  boy  had  never  tasted  anything  of  the.  kind 
in  his  life ;  and  from  the  lessons  of  Bertha  and 
Ben  he  had  acquired  a  certain  horror  of  the  cup, 
which  had  not  been  diminished  by  the  incidents 
of  the  evening.  He  could  not  drink,  and  he  could 
not  refuse  without  making  trouble  with  his  intoxi 
cated  host. 

But  Mollie  saw  his  difficulty,  and  slyly  substituted 


140  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

a  glass  of  water  for  the  gin,  which  he  drank.  Cap 
tain  McClintock  was  satisfied,  and  overcome  by  his 
last  potion,  he  soon  sank  back  on  the  locker,  and 
dropped  asleep.  With  the  assistance  of  the  mate 
he  was  put  into  the  berth  in  his  state-room,  to 
sleep  off  the  effects  of  his  debauch. 

"I'm  so  grateful  to  you!"  exclaimed  Mollie, 
when  all  her  trials  seemed  to  have  ended. 

"  0,  never  mind  me." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ? " 

"  Nowhere." 

"  Have  you  no  home  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Where  do  you  stay?" 

"  Anywhere." 

"  Where  were  you  going  to  sleep  to-night  ? " 

"  Anywhere  I  could." 

"  Then  you  can  sleep  here." 

Noddy  was  entirely  willing,  and  one  of  the  eight 
berths  in  the  cabin  was  appropriated  by  the  mate 
to  his  use. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  141 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE     SCHOONER     ROEBUCK. 

"WHAT  is  your  name?''  asked  Mollie,  when 
the  arrangements  for  the  night  were  completed. 

"  Noddy  Newman." 

"  Noddy  ?  What  a  queer  name  !  That  isn't  your 
real  name  —  is  it :  " 

"  Yes  ;    I  never  knew  any  other." 

Mollie  was  certainly  a  very  pleasing  young  lady, 
and  Noddy  had  become  quite  interested  in  her,  as 
we  always  are  in  those  to  whom  we  are  so  fortu 
nate  as  to  render  needed  assistance.  She  had  a 
pretty  face,  and  her  curly  hair  might  have  chal 
lenged  the  envy  of  many  a  fair  damsel  who  was 
wicked  enough  to  cherish  such  a  feeling.  There 
was  nothing  rough  or  coarse  about  her,  and  one 
would  hardly  have  expected  to  find  so  lady-like  a 
person  in  such  a  situation  in  life. 


142  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

We  make  this  statement  in  apology  for  the  in 
terest  which  Noddy  took  in  the  little  maiden.  The 
service  he  had  rendered  her  was  quite  sufficient  to 
create  a  kindly  feeling  towards  her  ;  and  then  she 
was  so  pretty,  so  modest,  and  so  gentle,  that  his 
sympathy  grew  into  admiration  before  she  went  to 
her  little  state-room.  Mollie  asked  him  a  great 
many  questions  about  his  past  life,  and  Noddy  told 
her  all  he  knew  about  himself  —  about  Bertha, 
Fanny,  and  others  at  Woodville.  He  did  not  tell 
her  about  the  affair  of  the  boat-house,  though  he 
determined  to  do  so  at  some  future  time,  if  he  had 
the  opportunity. 

In  return  for  all  this  information,  Mollie  told 
him  that  the  schooner  in  which  they  then  were 
was  called  the  Roebuck ;  that  she  belonged  to  her 
father,  and  that  they  were  bound  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  where  the  vessel  was  to  run  as  a  packet 
between  certain  islands,  whose  names  she  had  for 
gotten.  Captain  McClintock  belonged  in  the  State 
of  Maine,  where  Mollie's  mother  had  died  two  years 
before.  Her  father  had  some  property,  and  learning 
that  there  was  a  good  chance  to  improve  his  for- 


NODDY     NEWMAN      ON     A     CRUISE.  143 

tunes  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  he  had  built  the 
Roebuck  for  this  purpose. 

As  these  distant  islands  were  to  be  his  future 
home,  he  was  to  take  his  only  child  with  him,  ai\d 
he  had  fitted  up  a  state-room  in  the  cabin,  next  to 
his  own,  for  her  special  use.  Mollie  told  Noddy 
how  much  pleased  she  was  with  all  the  arrangements, 
and  how  happy  she  had  been  on  the  passage  to 
Boston,  where  the  Roebuck  was  to  pick  up  an  as 
sorted  cargo  for  the  port  of  her  destination.  Then 
she  wept  when  she  thought  of  the  terrible  scenes 
through  which  she  had  just  passed  in  the  streets. 
She  said  her  father  did  not  often  drink  too  much ; 
that  he  was  the  very  best  father  in  the  whole  world ; 
and  she  hoped  he  never  would  get  intoxicated 
again  as  long  as  he  lived. 

Noddy  hoped  so  too  ;  and  when  the  little  maiden 
had  finished  her  story,  he  thought  she  was  almost 
equal  to  Miss  Bertha ;  and  he  could  not  think  of 
such  a  thing  as  parting  with  her  in  the  morning, 
again  to  buffet  the  waves  of  disappointment  on 
shore. 

"  Does  your  father  want  a  boy  on  board  of  the 
vessel  ? "  asked  he. 


144  WORK     AXD     WIX,     OR 

"  I  don't  know.  Do  you  want  to  go  with  us?'* 
said  Mollie,  with  a  smile  which  spoke  the  pleasure 
the  thought  afforded  her. 

"  I  should  like  to  go  with  you  first-rate,"  replied 
Noddy.  "  I  want  to  do  something,  and  earn  some 
money  for  myself.  I  want  to  work." 

"  Then  you  shall  go  with  us  !  "  exclaimed  Mollie. 
"  Out  where  we  are  going  is  a  nice  place  to  get 
rich.  My  father  is  going  to  get  rich  out  there,  and 
then  we  arc  coming  home  again." 

Poor  child !  She  knew  not  what  the  future  had 
in  store  for  them. 

The  bells  of  the  city  rang  for  nine  o'clock,  and 
Mollie  said  she  went  to  bed  at  this  time. 

"Can  you  read,  Noddy?"  asked  she. 

"  Yes,  some." 

"  I  always  read  my  Testament  before  I  go  to 
bed ;  I  promised  my  mother,  years  ago,  that  I 
would ;  and  I  like  to  do  it,  too.  I  suppose  you 
read  your  Testament  every  night  —  don't  you?" 

"  Sometimes  ;  that  is,  I  did  once,"  replied  Noddy, 
in  some  confusion,  for  he  could  not  help  recalling 
the  teachings  of  Bertha  on  this  subject. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  145 

"  Well,  we  will  read  it  together.  You  would 
like  to —  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"Yes;    I  don't  care  if  I  do." 

There  was  a  want  of  enthusiasm  on  his  part 
which  was  rather  painful  to  the  little  maiden  ;  but 
she  got  the  Testament,  and  when  she  had  read  a 
few  verses  aloud,  she  passed  the  book  to  Noddy, 
who  stumbled  through  his  portion,  and  she  then 
finished  the  chapter.  She  bade  him  good  night, 
and  retired  to  her  state-room,  leaving  her  new-made 
friend  to  meditate  upon  the  singular  events  of  the 
evening. 

He  did  not  meditate  a  great  while  —  he  never 
did.  His  thoughts  were  disposed  to  stray  from  one 
subject  to  another  ;  and  from  the  little  maiden,  he 
found  himself  wondering  whether  Mr.  Grant  had 
finished  searching  for  him  in  Albany,  and  whether 
Miss  Fanny  had  "  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag "  yet. 
Noddy  was  too  tired  and  sleepy  to  think  a  great 
while  about  anything;  and  he  turned  into  his  berth, 
and  went  to  sleep. 

Early  in  the  morning  Noddy  was  on  his  feet. 
He  went  on  deck,  and  found  that  the  Roebuck  was 
13 


146  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

a  beautiful  vessel,  almost  handsome  enough  to  be  a 
gentleman's  yacht.  He  went  upon  the  wharf,  where 
he  could  obtain  a  fair  view  of  her  bow,  and  he 
was  sure  she  would  make  good  time  with  a  fair 
breeze.  When  he  had  satisfied  himself  with  the 
examination,  he  was  more  than  ever  inclined  to 
go  out  in  her. 

When  he  went  down  into  the  cabin  again,  Mollie 
was  there,  setting  the  table  for  breakfast.  She 
looked  as  fair  and  as  fresh  as  a  country  maiden. 
She  gave  him  a  very  friendly  greeting. 

"  Do  you  do  these  things,  Mollie  ? "  asked  he. 

"  O,  yes ;  I  always  work,  and  do  what  I  can.  I 
like  to  do  something." 

"  How  old  are  you,  Mollie  ?" 

"  Eleven  last  May." 

"  But  you  can't  do  this  work  when  you  are  out 
at  sea." 

"  O,  yes,  I  can." 

"  You  will  be  seasick." 

"  I  never  was  sick,  and  I  have  been  to  sea  a 
great  deal  with  my  father." 

"  How  is  the  captain  this  morning  ? " 


NODDY     .NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  147 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  haven't  seen  him  yet,"  replied 
she,  looking  very  sad,  as  she  thought  of  her  kind 
father's  infirmity. 

Captain  McClintock  soon  came  out  of  his  state 
room.  He  looked  pale  and  haggard,  and  seemed 
to  be  thoroughly  ashamed  of  himself  for  what  he 
had  done  the  evening  before,  as  he  ought  to  have 
been.  Mollie  sprang  to  him,  as  he  stepped  out  of 
his  room,  and  kissed  him  as  lovingly  as  though  he 
had  never  done  a  wrong  thing  in  his  life.  He 
glanced  at  Noddy,  as  he  entered  the  main  cabin, 
with  a  look  of  astonishment,  as  though  his  con 
nection  with  the  events  of  the  previous  evening 
were  a  blank  to  him. 

The  captain  did  not  say  a  word  to  Noddy,  which 
made  the  boy  feel  as  thougli  he  was  an  intruder 
in  the  cabin ;  and  when  he  had  the  opportunity, 
he  went  on  deck,  leaving  Mollie  to  say  whatever 
the  circumstances  required  in  explanation  of  his 
presence. 

"  I  will  never  do  it  again,  Mollie,''  said  the  fond 
father,  as  he  kissed  his  daughter.  "  I  am  very 
sorry,  and  you  must  forgive  me,  my  child." 


148  WORK     AND     WIN,     OB 

He  was  a  penitent  man,  and  felt  how  great  was 
the  wrong  he  had  done  the  poor  child.  He  had 
taken  her  out  to  walk,  and  to  see  the  sights  of 
the  city,  and  had  become  intoxicated.  He  remem 
bered  the  whole  scene,  when  the  boys  had  chased 
him ;  and  to  Mollie,  whom  he  loved  with  all  his 
heart,  he  was  willing  to  own  his  fault,  and  to 
make  her  happy  by  promising  never  to  do  the 
wrong  again. 

Mollie  then  told  him  about  her  conversation  with 
Noddy,  and  of  the  boy's  desire  to  go  to  sea  with 
them.  Captain  McClintock  remembered  in  part  what 
the  boy  had  done  for  them  ;  and  Mollie  supplied 
what  he  had  not  seen,  or  had  forgotten. 

"  Why,  yes ;  we  want  a  cabin-boy.  I  should 
have  shipped  one  at  home,  if  I  could  have  found 
the  right  one,"  replied  the  captain.  "  You  say  he 
is  a  good  boy  ?  " 

"  I  know  he  is.     He  wants  to  work." 

"  Does  he  know  anything  about  a  vessel  ?  I 
want  one  who  can  go  aloft,  and  shake  out  the 
top-gallant  sail." 

"  He  is  used  to  boats  and  the  water." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  149 

"  Well,  we  will  see  what  he  is  good  for,  after 
breakfast." 

"  I  hope  you  will  take  him,  for  we  have  become 
fast  friends." 

"  If  he  is  good  for  anything,  I  will,  Mollie.  Call 
him  down.  Here  comes  the  doctor  with  the  grub." 

The  "  doctor "  was  the  black  cook  of  the  Roe 
buck,  who  was  now  descending  the  companion-way 
with  the  morning  meal.  Noddy  was  called,  and 
Captain  McClintock  spoke  very  kindly  to  him.  He 
inquired  particularly  into  his  knowledge  of  vessels, 
and  wanted  to  know  whether  he  would  be  afraid 
to  go  aloft.  Noddy  smiled,  and  thought  he  should 
not  be  afraid.  He  ate  his  breakfast  with  a  boy's 
appetite,  and  then  the  captain  took  him  on  deck. 

"  Do  you  see  that  fore -top -gallant  yard  ?  "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  see  it,"  replied  Noddy,  who  had 
been  thoroughly  instructed  in  these  matters  by  the 
old  man-of-war's-man  of  Woodville,  though  he  had 
no  practical  experience  in  seamanship,  even  on  as 
large  a  scale  as  a  topsail  schooner,  which  was  the 
rig  of  the  Roebuck. 
13* 


150  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Well,  my  boy,  that's  a  pretty  high  place. 
Should  you  dare  to  go  up  there  ? " 

"  I  think  I  should,"   answered  Noddy. 

"  Let  me  see  you  do  it." 

"  Now  ? " 

"  Yes.  I  want  to  see  what  you  are  good  for. 
If  we  can't  make  a  sailor  of  you,  it  won't  be 
worth  while  to  take  you  out  to  the  Pacific.  Let 
me  see  how  long  it  will  take  you  to  run  up  to 
that  fore-top-gallant  yard." 

Noddy  started.  Captain  McClintock  was  evi 
dently  satisfied  that  it  would  make  the  boy  dizzy  ; 
and  that,  perhaps,  if  he  had  to  do  this  kind  of 
work,  he  would  not  care  to  make  a  voyage.  Mol- 
lie  stood  by  her  father's  side,  deeply  interested  in 
the  experiment,  and  fearful  that  her  heroic  friend 
would  fail  to  meet  her  father's  expectations,  thus 
depriving  her  of  a  pleasant  companion  on  her  long 
voyage. 

The  candidate  for  a  position  on  the  Roebuck 
skipped  lightly  forward  to  the  fore-shrouds  of  the 
vessel,  ran  up,  as  chipper  as  a  monkey,  to  the 
mast  head,  then  up  the  fore-topmast  rigging  to  the 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  151 

yard.  Planting  his  feet  in  the  foot-ropes,  he  danced 
out  to  the  port  yard-arm.  At  this  point  he  aston 
ished  the  spectators  below  by  performing  certain 
feats  which  he  had  seen  at  the  Great  Olympian 
Circus.  Descending  from  the  yard,  he  grasped  the 
main-topmast  stay,  andt  ran  over  upon  it  to  the 
main-topmast,  and  then  made  his  way  to  the  deck 
by  the  main-topmast  back-stay. 

"  You'll  do,  my  boy ! "  said  the  captain,  emphat 
ically.  "  You  will  make  a  smart  sailor." 

"  Am  I  to  go  with  you,  sir  ? "    asked  Noddy. 

"  Yes,  if  you  like." 

"  What  will  you  give  me  ? " 

This  was  a  more  difficult  question  ;  but  the  cap 
tain  finally  agreed  to  give  him  eight  dollars  a 
month,  and  to  advance  money  enough  to  buy  him 
an  outfit.  Mollie  actually  danced  about  the  deck 
with  joy  when  the  terms  were  arranged,  and  it  was 
certain  that  Noddy  was  to  go  on  the  voyage. 

The  boy's  work  had  been  carefully  stated  by  the 
captain.  He  was  to  take  care  of  the  cabin,  wait 
upon  the  captain  and  his  daughter  at  table,  and 
do  duty  forward  when  required.  He  was  to  have 


1  52  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OK 

a  berth  in  the  cabin,  and  was  not  to  be  in  eift  ;i 
watch,  unless  the  vessel  became  short-handed. 

"  Now  we  shall  be  happy  ! "  exclaimed  Mollie, 
who  had  already  formed  many  plans  for  the  long 
and  lonely  cruise. 

"  I  think  we  shall.  Do  you  know  when  we 
sail,  Mollie  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  to-day ;    perhaps  not  till  to-morrow." 

"  I  want  to  write  a  letter  to  Miss  Bertha  before 
we  go." 

"  That's  right,  Noddy  ;  never  forget  your  friends. 
I  will  give  you  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  by  and  by." 

In  the  forenoon  Captain  McClintock  took  the 
young  sailor  ashore,  and  purchased  for  him  a  sup 
ply  of  clothing.  Noddy  always  dressed  like  a 
sailor  at  Woodville.  This  was  Ben's  idea,  and  it 
was  quite  proper,  as  his  work  was  in  the  boats. 
His  new  garments  were  not  strange  to  him,  there- 
tore,  though  they  were  much  coarser  than  those  he 
wore. 

After  dinner  the  captain  went  on  shore  alone  to 
do  his  business,  and  Noddy  wrote  his  letter. 
About  five  o'clock  he  returned,  and  poor  Mollie 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  153 

was  dreadfully  grieved  to  find  that  he  was  partially 
intoxicated.  He  immediately  gave  the  order  to  get 
under  way,  and  went  down  into  the  cabin,  leaving 
the  mate  to  haul  the  vessel  out  of  the  dock. 

Noddy  made  himself  as  useful  as  possible,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  Roebuck  was  clear  of  the 
wharf.  The  captain  came  on  deck  again,  when 
the  jib  was  hoisted,  and  the  sails  began  to  draw. 
The  voyage  had  actually  commenced,  and  Noddy 
did  not  believe  that  Mr.  Grant  and  the  constables 
would  be  able  to  catch  him. 


154  WORK    AND     WIN.     OR 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE     DRUNKEN     CAPTAIN. 

"  LAY  aloft,  and  help  shake  out  the  fore-topsail," 
said  the  captain  to  Noddy,  who  was  standing  by 
the  wheel-man,  watching  the  movements  of  the 
vessel.  '*  Be  lively  !  What  are  you  staring  at  ?  " 

The  captain's  tones  were  stern  and  ugly.  He 
had  evidently  taken  another  glass  of  gin  since  he 
came  on  board.  He  was  sufficiently  intoxicated  to 
be  unreasonable,  though  he  could  walk  straight,  and 
understood  perfectly  what  he  was  about.  Noddy 
did  not  like  the  harsh  tones  in  which  the  order 
was  given,  and  he  did  not  move  as  lively  as  he 
would  have  done  if  the  words  had  been  spoken 
pleasantly.  He  had  not  yet  learned  the  duty  of 
prompt  obedience,  be  the  tones  what  they  may. 

He  went  aloft,  and  helped  the  men  who  were  at 
work  on  the  topsail.  As  soon  as  the  sheets  were 


NODDY  .NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  155 

hauled  home,  the  captain  hailed  him  from  the  deck, 
and  ordered  him  to  shake  out  the  fore-top-gallant 
sail.  Noddy  had  moved  so  leisurely  before,  that 
the  command  came  spiced  with  a  volley  of  oaths ; 
and  the  cabin-boy  began  to  feel  that  he  was  getting 
something  more  than  he  had  bargained  for.  He 
shook  out  the  sail,  and  when  the  yard  had  been 
raised  to  its  proper  position,  he  went  on  deck  again. 

The  Roebuck  was  dashing  briskly  along  with  a 
fresh  southerly  breeze  ;  and  if  Noddy  had  not  been 
troubled  with  a  suspicion  that  something  was  wrong, 
he  would  have  enjoyed  the  scene  exceedingly.  He 
had  begun  to  fear  that  Captain  McClintock  was  a 
tyrant,  and  that  he  was  doomed  to  undergo  many 
hardships  before  he  saw  his  native  land  again. 

"  Don't  be  troubled,  Noddy,"  said  Mollie,  in  a 
low  tone,  as  she  placed  herself  by  his  side  at  the 
lee  rail.  "  My  father  isn't  cross  very  often." 

"  I  don't  like  to  be  spoken  to  in  that  way," 
replied  he,  trying  to  banish  a  certain  ill  .feeling 
which  was  struggling  for  expression  in  his  words 
<md  manner. 

"You  mustn't  mind  that,  Noddy.  That's  the 
way  all  sea  captains  speak." 


156  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

"  Is    it  ?  " 

"It  is  indeed,  Noddy.  You  must  get  used  to  it 
as  quick  as  you  can." 

"  I'll  try,"  answered  the  cabin-boy  :  but  he  did 
not  feel  much  like  trying ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was 
more  disposed  to  manifest  his  opposition,  even  at 
the  risk  of  a  "  row,"  or  even  with  the  certain 
prospect  of  being  worsted  in  the  end. 

Mollie,  hoping  that  he  would  try,  went  aft  again. 
She  knew  what  her  father  was  when  partially  in 
toxicated,  and  she  feared  that  one  who  was  high- 
spirited  enough  to  face  a  dozen  boys  of  his  own 
size  and  weight,  as  Noddy  had  done  in  the  street, 
would  not  endure  the  harsh  usage  of  one  made  un 
reasonable  by  drinking.  Some  men  are  very  cross 
and  ugly  when  they  are  partially  intoxicated,  and 
very  silly  and  good-natured  when  they  are  entirely 
steeped  in  the  drunkard's  cup.  Such  was  Captain 
McClintock.  If  he  continued  his  potations  up  to  a 
certain  point,  he  would  pass  from  the  crooked, 
cross-grained  phase  to  that  of  the  jolly,  stupid, 
noisy  debauchee.  Entirely  sober,  he  was  entirely 
reasonable. 


NODDY      NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  157 

"  Here,  youngster ! "  called  the  captain,  as  he 
stepped  forward  to  the  waist,  where  Noddy  was 
looking  over  the  rail. 

"  Sir,"  replied  Noddy,  rather  stiffly,  and  without 
turning  his  head. 

"  Do  you  hear  r  "  yelled  the  captain,  rilled  with 
passion  at  the  contempt  with  which  he  was  treated 
by  the  boy. 

"  I  hear,"  said  Noddy,  turning  round  as  slowly 
as  though  he  had  a  year  in  which  to  complete  his 
revolution. 

"  Swab  up  that  deck  there ;  and  if  you  don't 
move  a  little  livelier  than  you  have  yet,  I'll  try  a 
rope's  end  to  your  legs." 

"  No,  you  won't !  "  retorted  Noddy,  sharply,  for 
he  could  endure  a  whipping  as  easily  as  he  could 
a  threat. 

"  Won't  I  ? "  cried  the  captain,  as  he  seized  a 
piece  of  rope  from  one  of  the  belaying  pins. 
"  We'll  see." 

He  sprang  upon  the  high-spirited  boy,  and  began 
to  beat  him  in  the  most  unmerciful  manner.  Noddy 
attempted  to  get  away  from  him,  but  the  captain 
14 


158  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

had  grasped  him  by  the  collar,  and  held  on  with 
an  iron  grip. 

"  Let  me  alone  !  "  roared  Noddy.  "  I'll  knock 
your  brains  out  if  you  don't  let  me  alone  !  " 

"  We'll  see  !  "  gasped  Captain  McClintock,  furious 
with  passion  and  with  gin. 

Unfortunately  for  him,  he  did  see  when  it  was 
too  late  ;  for  Noddy  had  laid  hold  of  a  wooden 
belaying  pin,  and  aimed  a  blow  with  it  at  the  head 
of  his  merciless  persecutor.  He  did  not  hit  him 
on  the  head,  but  the  blow  fell  heavily  on  his 
shoulder,  causing  him  to  release  his  hold  of  the 
boy.  Noddy,  puffing  like  a  grampus  from  the 
violence  of  the  struggle,  rushed  forward  to  the 
forecastle. 

The  captain  ordered  the  sailors  to  stop  him  ;  but 
either  because  they  were  not  smart  enough,  or 
because  they  had  no  relish  for  the  business,  they 
failed  to  catch  him,  and  the  culprit  ran  out  on  the 
bowsprit.  The  angry  man  followed  him  as  far  as 
the  bowsprit  bitts,  but  prudence  forbade  his  going 
any  farther. 

"  Come  here,  you  young  rascal ! "  shouted  the 
captain. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  159 

"  I  won't,"  replied  Noddy,  as  he  perched  himself 
on  the  bight  of  the  jib-stay. 

"  Come  here,  I  say  !  " 

"  I'll  go  overboard  before  I  go  any  nearer  to 
you.  I'm  not  going  to  be  pounded  for  nothing." 

"  You'll  obey  orders  aboard  this  vessel,"  replied 
the  captain,  whose  passion  was  somewhat  mod 
erated  by  the  delay  which  kept  him  from  his  victim. 

"  I'm  ready  to  obey  orders,  and  always  have 
been,"  answered  Noddy,  who  had  by  this  time 
begun  to  think  of  the  consequences  of  his  resist 
ance. 

"Will  you    swab  up  the  deck,  as  I  told    you?" 

"  I  will,  sir ;  but  I  won't  be  whipped  by  no 
drunken  man. 

"  Drunken  man  !  "  repeated  the  captain.  "  You 
shall  be  whipped  for  that,  you  impudent  young 
villain  !  " 

The  captain  mounted  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit, 
and  was  making  his  way  up  to  the  point  occupied 
by  the  refractory  cabin-boy,  when  Mollie  reached 
the  forecastle,  and  grasped  her  father  in  her  lirtle 
arms. 


160  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Don't,  father,  don't !  "  pleaded  she. 

"  Go  away,  Mollie,"  said  he,  sternly.  "  He  is 
impudent  and  mutinous,  and  shall  be  brought  to 
his  senses." 

"  Stop,  father,   do  stop  !  "  cried  Mollie,  piteously. 

He  might  as  well  stop,  for  by  this  time  Noddy 
had  mounted  the  jib-stay,  and  was  half  way  up  to 
the  mast  head. 

"  He  called  me  a  drunken  man,  Mollie,  and  he 
shall  suffer  for  it  !  "  replied  Captain  McClintock,  in 
tones  so  savage  that  the  poor  girl's  blood  was 
almost  frozen  by  them. 

"  Stop,  father !  "  said  she,  earnestly,  as  he  turned 
to  move  aft  again. 

"  Go  away,   child." 

"  He  spoke  the  truth,"  replied  she,  in  a  low 
tone,  as  her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  sobbed 
bitterly. 

*'  The  truth,  Mollie  !  ''  exclaimed  her  father,  as 
though  the  words  from  that  beloved  child  had 
paralyzed  him. 

"  Yes,  father,  you  have  been  drinking  again. 
You  promised  me  last  night  —  you  know  what  you 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  161 

promised  me,"  said  she,  her  utterance  broken  by 
the  violence  of  her  emotions. 

He  looked  at  her  in  silence  for  an  instant ;  but 
his  breast  heaved  under  the  strong  feelings  which 
agitated  him.  That  glance  seemed  to  overcome 
him  ;  he  dropped  the  rope's  end,  and,  rushing  aft, 
disappeared  down  the  companion-way.  Mollie  fol 
lowed  him  into  the  cabin,  where  she  found  him 
with  his  head  bent  down  upon  the  table,  weeping 
like  an  infant. 

Noddy  leisurely  descended  from  his  perch  at  the 
mast  head,  from  which  he  had  witnessed  this  scene 
without  hearing  what  was  said  ;  indeed,  none  of 
the  crew  had  heard  Mollie's  bitter  words,  for  *he 
had  spoken  them  in  an  impressive  whisper. 

"  Well,  youngster,  you  have  got  yourself  into 
hot  water,"  said  the  mate,  when  the  boy  reached 
the  deck. 

"  I  couldn't  help  it,"  replied  Noddy,  who  had 
begun  to  look  doubtfully  at  the  future. 

"  Couldn't  help  it,  you  young   monkey  !  " 

Noddy  was  disposed  at  first  to  resent  this  highly 
improper  language ;  but  one  scrape  at  a  time  was 
14* 


162  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

quite  enough,  and  he  wisely  concluded  not  to 
notice  the  offensive  remark. 

"  I'm  not  used  to  having  any  man  speak  to  me 
in  that  kind  of  a  way ,"  added  Noddy,  rather 
tamely. 

"  You  are  not  in  a  drawing-room  !  Do  you  think 
the  cap'n  is  going  to  take  his  hat  oft  to  the  cabin- 
boy  ? "  replied  the  mate,  indignantly. 

"  I  don't  ask  him  to  take  his  hat  off  to  me. 
He  spoke  to  me  as  if  I  was  a  dog." 

"  That  s  the  way  officers  do  speak  to  men, 
whether  it  is  the  right  way  or  not ;  and  if  you 
can't  stand  it,  you've  no  business  here." 

"  I  didn't  know  they  spoke  in  that  way." 

"It's  the  fashion ;  and  when  man  or  boy  insults 
an  officer  as  you  did  the  captain,  he  always  knocks 
him  down  ;  and  serves  him  right,  too." 

Noddy  regarded  the  mate  as  a  very  reasonable 
man,  though  he  swore  abominably,  and  did  not 
speak  in  the  gentlest  tones  to  the  men.  He  con 
cluded,  therefore,  that  he  had  made  a  blunder,  and 
he  desired  to  get  out  of  the  scrape  as  fast  as  he 
could.  The  mate  explained  to  him  sundry  things, 


NODDY      NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  163 

in  the  discipline  of  a  ship,  which  he  had  not  before 
understood.  He  said  that  when  sailors  came  on 
board  of  a  vessel  they  expected  more  or  less  harsh 
words,  and  that  it  was  highly  impudent,  to  say 
the  least,  for  a  man  to  retort,  or  even  to  be  sulky. 

"  Captain  McClintock  is  better  than  half  of  them," 
he  added  ;  "  and  if  the  men  do  their  duty,  they  can 
get  along  very  well  with  him." 

"  But  he  was  drunk,"   said  Noddy. 

"  That's  none  of  your  business.  If  he  was,  it 
was  so  much  the  more  stupid  in  you  to  attempt  to 
kick  up  a  row  with  him." 

Noddy  began  to  be  of  the  same  opinion  himself; 
and  an  incipient  resolution  to  be  more  careful  in 
future  was  flitting  through  his  mind,  when  he  was 
summoned  to  the  cabin  by  Mollie.  He  went  below  ; 
the  captain  was  not  there  —  he  had  retired  to  his 
state-room ;  and  his  daughter  sat  upon  the  locker, 
weeping  bitterly. 

"  How  happy  I  expected  to  be  !  How  unhappy  I 
am!"  sobbed  she.  ""Noddy,  you  have  made  me 
feel  very  bad." 

"  I  couldn't  help  it ;  I  didn't  mean  to  make  you 
feel  bad,"  protested  Noddy. 


164  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  My  poor  father  !  "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  thought 
again  that  the  blame  was  not  the  boy's  alone. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  what  I  did.  I  never  went 
to  sea  before,  and  I  didn't  know  the  fashions. 
Where  is  your  father  ?  Could  I  see  him  ? " 

"  Not  now ;  he  has  gone  to  his  state-room.  He 
will  be  better  by  and  by." 

"  I  want  to  see  him  when  he  comes  out.  I  will 
try  and  make  it  right  with  him,  for  I  know  I  was 
to  blame,"  said  Noddy,  whose  ideas  were  rapidly 
enlarging. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Noddy,"  added 
Mollie,  looking  up  into  his  face  with  such  a  sad 
expression  that  he  would  have  done  anything  to 
comfort  her.  "  Now  go  on  deck  ;  but  promise  me 
that  you  will  not  be  impudent  to  my  father,  what 
ever  happens." 

"  I  will  not,  Mollie." 

Noddy  went  on  deck.  The  Roebuck  had  passed 
out  of  the  harbor.  She  was  close-hauled,  and 
headed  to  the  south-east.  She  was  pitching  consid 
erably,  which  was  a  strange  motion  to  the  cabin- 
boy,  whose  nautical  experience  had  been  confined 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  165 

to  the  Hudson  River.  But  there  was  something 
exhilarating  in  the  scene,  and  if  Noddy's  mind 
had  been  easy,  he  would  have  been  delighted  with 
the  situation.  The  mate  asked  him  some  questions 
about  the  captain,  which  led  to  a  further  discussion 
of  the  matter  of  discipline  on  board  a  vessel. 

"  I  want  to  do  well,  Mr.  Watts,"  said  Noddy. 
"  My  best  friend  gave  me  the  motto,  '  Work  and 
Win ; '  and  I  want  to  do  the  very  best  I  know 
how." 

"  I  don't  think  you  have  begun  very  well.  If 
you  are  impudent  to  your  officers,  I  can  assure 
you  that  you  will  work  a  great  deal  and  win  very 
little.  Neither  boy  nor  man  can  have  all  his  own 
way  in  the  world  ;  and  on  board  ship  you  will 
have  to  submit  to  a  great  many  little  things  that 
don't  suit  you.  The  sooner  you  learn  to  do  so 
with  a  good  grace,  the  sooner  you  will  be  com 
fortable  and  contented.  ' 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Watts,  for  your  good  adrice, 
and  I  will  try  to  follow  it." 

"  That's  right,"  replied  the  mate,  satisfied  that 
Noddy  was  not  a  very  bad  boy,  after  all. 


166  WOEK    AND     WIN,     OR 

Noddy  was  fully  determined  to  be  a  good  boy, 
to  obey  the  officers  promptly,  and  not  to  be  im 
pudent,  even  if  they  abused  him.  Captain  McClin- 
tock  did  not  come  on  deck,  or  into  the  cabin, 
again  that  night.  He  had  probably  drank  until 
he  was  completely  overcome,  and  the  vessel  was 
left  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Watts,  who  was  fortunately 
a  good  seaman  and  a  skilful  navigator.  Noddy 
performed  his  duties,  both  on  deck  and  in  the 
cabin,  with  a  zeal  and  fidelity  which  won  the  praise 
of  the  mate. 

"  Captain  McClintock,"  said  Noddy,  when  the 
master  of  the  vessel  came  on  deck  in  the  morning. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want,  youngster  ?  "  replied 
the  captain,  in  gruff  and  forbidding  tones. 

"  I  was  wrong  yesterday  '-  I  am  very  sorry  for  it, 
and  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me  this  time." 

"  It  is  no  light  thing  to  be  saucy  to  the  captain." 

"  I  will  never  do  so  again,"  added  Noddy. 

"  WV11  see ;  if  you  behave  well,  I'll  pass  it  by, 
and  say  nothing  more  about  it." 

"  Thank  you,  sir/' 

The  captain  did    not    speak  as  though  he    meant 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  167 

what  he  said.  It  was  evident  from  his  conduct 
during  the  forenoon,  that  he  had  not  forgotten,  if 
he  had  forgiven.  Noddy's  impudent  speech.  He 
addressed  him  rather  harshly,  and  appeared  not  to 
like  his  presence. 

In  the  forenoon  the  vessel  passed  Highland  Light, 
and  before  night  Noddy  saw  the  last  of  the  land. 
There  was  a  heavy  blow  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
Roebuck  pitched  terribly  in  the  great  seas.  The 
cabin-boy  began  to  experience  some  new  and  sin 
gular  sensations,  and  at  eight  bells  in  the  evening 
he  was  so  seasick  that  he  could  not  hold  up  his 
head. 


168  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 


CHAPTER     XIII. 

THE     SHARK. 

FOR  two  days  Noddy  suffered  severely  from  sea, 
sickness,  and  Mollie  was  full  of  tenderness  and 
sympathy.  Captain  McClintock  still  mocked  the 
poor  child's  hopes,  and  still  broke  the  promises 
which  should  have  been  sacred,  for  he  was  intox 
icated  each  day.  On  the  second,  Avhile  Noddy  was 
lying  in  his  berth,  the  captain,  rendered  brutal  by 
the  last  dram  he  had  taken,  came  out  of  his  state 
room,  and  halted  near  the  sick  boy. 

"  What  are  you  in  there  for,  you  young  scul- 
pin  ? "  said  he.  "  Why  are  you  not  on  deck, 
attending  to  your  duty  ?  " 

"  I  am  sick,  sir,"  replied  Noddy,  faintly. 

"  Sick  !  We  don't  want  any  skulking  of  that 
sort  on  board  this  vessel.  You  want  to  shirk  your 
duty.  Turn  out  lively,  and  go  on  deck." 


NODDY      XEWMAtf     OX     A     CRUISE.  169 

**  But  he  is  sick,  father,"  said  Mollie. 

"  Go  away,  Mollie.  You  will  spoil  the  boy. 
Come,  tumble  out,  youngster,  or  I  shall  bring 
down  the  rope's  end,"  replied  the  captain. 

The  daughter  pleaded  for  her  patient ;  but  the 
father  was  ugly  and  unreasonable,  and  persisted  in 
his  purpose.  Noddy  did  not  feel  able  to  move. 
He  was  completely  prostrated  by  the  violence  of 
his  disagreeable  malady  ;  and  five  minutes  before, 
he  would  not  have  considered  it  possible  for  him 
to  get  out  of  his  berth.  He  must  do  so  now  or 
be  whipped ;  for  there  was  no  more  reason  in  the 
captain  than  there  was  in  the  mainmast  of  the 
schooner.  He  was  not  able  to  make  any  resist 
ance,  if  he  had  been  so  disposed. 

It  was  very  hard  to  be  obliged  to  go  on  deck 
when  he  was  sick,  especially  as  there  was  no  need 
of  his  services  there.  lie  raised  his  head,  and  sat 
upright  in  the  berth.  The  movement  seemed  com 
pletely  to  overturn  his  stomach  again.  But  what  a 
chance  this  was,  thought  he,  to  show  poor  Mollie 
that  he  was  in  earnest,  and  to  convince  her  that  he 
had  really  reformed  his  manners.  With  a  des- 
15 


170  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

perate  struggle  he  leaped  out  of  his  berth,  and  put 
on  his  jacket.  The  Roebuck  was  still  pitching 
heavily,  and  it  was  almost  impossible  for  him  to 
keep  on  his  feet.  He  had  hardly  tasted  food  for 
two  days,  and  was  very  weak  from  the  effects  of 
his  sickness. 

He  crawled  on  deck  as  well  as  he  was  able, 
followed  by  Captain  McClintock,  who  regarded  him 
with  a  look  of  malignant  triumph.  Poor  Noddy 
felt  like  a  martyr ;  but  for  Mollie's  sake,  he  was 
determined  to  bear  his  sufferings  with  patience  and 
resignation,  and  to  obey  the  captain,  even  if  he 
told  him  to  jump  overboard.  He  did  what  was 
almost  as  bad  as  this,  for  he  ordered  the  sick  boy 
to  swab  up  the  deck  —  an  entirely  useless  opera 
tion,  for  the  spray  was  breaking  over  the  bow  of 
the  Roebuck,  and  the  water  was  rushing  in  tor 
rents  out  of  the  lee  scuppers.  But  Noddy,  true  to 
his  resolution,  obeyed  the  order,  and  dragged  his 
weary  body  forward  to  perform  his  useless  task. 
For  half  an  hour  he  labored  against  nature  and  the 
elements,  and  of  course  accomplished  nothing.  It 
was  all  "work"  and  no  "win." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  171 

A  boy  who  had  the  resolution  and  courage  to 
face  a  dozen  angry  fellows  as  large  as  himself, 
certainly  ought  not  to  lack  the  power  to  overcome 
the  single  foe  that  beset  him  from  within.  Noddy 
was  strong  enough  for  the  occasion,  even  in  his 
present  weakly  condition.  It  M'as  hard  work,  but 
the  victory  he  won  was  a  satisfactory  reward. 

The  captain's  vision  was  rather  imperfect  in  his 
present  state,  and  he  took  it  into  his  head  that  the 
foretop-gallant  sail  was  straining  the  topmast.  Mr. 
Watts  respectfully  assured  him  the  topmast  was 
strong  enough  to  stand  the  strain ;  but  the  master 
was  set  in  Ids  own  opinion.  Apparently  his  view 
was  adopted  for  the  occasion,  for  he  ordered  Noddy 
to  go  aloft  and  furl  the  sail.  Mollie  protested 
when  she  heard  this  order,  for  she  was  afraid 
Noddy  was  so  weak  that  he  would  fall  from  the 
yard.  The  cabin-boy,  strong  in  the  victory  he  had 
just  won,  did  not  even  remonstrate  against  the 
order;  but,  with  all  the  vigor  he  could  command, 
he  went  up  the  fore -rigging.  He  was  surprised  to 
find  how  much  strength  an  earnest  spirit  lent  to 
hia  weak  body. 


172  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OH 

The  pitching  of  the  Roebuck  rendered  the  exe 
cution  of  the  order  very  difficult  to  one  unaccus 
tomed  to  the  violent  motion  of  a  vessel  in  a  heavy 
sea  ;  but  in  spite  of  all  the  trials  which  lay  in  his 
path,  he  furled  the  sail.  When  he  came  down  to 
the  deck,  the  captain  had  gone  below  again,  and 
the  weary  boy  was  permitted  to  rest  from  his 
severe  labors.  Instead  of  being  overcome  by  them, 
he  actually  felt  better  than  when  he  had  left  his 
berth.  The  fresh  air,  and  the  conquest  of  the 
will  over  the  feeble  body,  had  almost  wrought  a 
miracle  in  his  physical  frame.  The  mate  told  him 
that  what  he  had  done  was  the  best  thing  in  the 
world  for  seasickness ;  in  fact,  earnest  exertion 
was  the  only  remedy  for  the  troublesome  complaint. 

At  supper-time  Noddy  took  some  tea  and  ate  a 
couple  of  ship  biscuits  with  a  good  relish.  He 
began  to  feel  like  a  newr  person,  and  even  to  be 
much  obliged  to  the  captain  for  subjecting  him  to 
the  tribulations  which  had  wrought  his  cure.  The 
next  morning  he  ate  a  hearty  breakfast,  and  went 
to  his  work  with  the  feeling  that  "  oft  from  ap 
parent  ills  our  blessings  rise." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  173 

The  captain  kept  sober  during  the  next  five  days, 
owing,  it  was  believed  by  Noddy,  to  the  influence 
of  his  daughter,  who  had  the  courage  to  speak  the 
truth  to  him.  Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the 
Roebuck,  it  had  been  ascertained  that,  from  some 
impurity  in  the  casks,  the  water  on  board  was  not 
fit  for  use ;  and  the  captain  decided  to  put  into 
Barbadocs  and  procure  a  fresh  supply.  When  the 
schooner  took  a  pilot,  on  the  twelfth  day  out,  it 
was  found  that  the  yellow  fever  was  making  ter 
rible  ravages  in  the  island  ;  but  the  water  was  so 
bad  on  board  that  the  captain  decided  to  go  into 
port  and  remain  just  long  enough  to  procure  new 
casks  and  a  supply  of  water.  If  he  had  been 
entirely  sober,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  turned 
his  bow  at  once  from  the  infected  island. 

The  Roebuck  came  to  anchor,  and  the  captain, 
regardless  of  his  own  safety,  went  on  shore  to 
transact  the  business.  The  casks  were  purchased, 
but  it  was  impossible  to  get  them  on  board  before 
the  next  morning,  and  the  vessel  was  compelled  to 
remain  at  anchor  over  night.  The  weather  was 
excessively  hot  in  the  afternoon,  but  towards  night 
15* 


174  WORK     AND     AVIN,     OR 

a  cool  breeze  came  in  from  the  sea,  which  was 
very  refreshing ;  and  Noddy  and  Mollie  were  on 
deck,  enjoying  its  invigorating  breath.  The  boat 
in  which  the  captain  had  just  returned  lay  at  the 
accommodation  ladder.  The  confinement  of  twelve 
days  on  board  the  vessel  had  been  rather  irksome, 
and  both  of  the  young  people  would  have  been 
delighted  to  take  a  run  on  shore  ;  but  the  terrible 
sickness  there  rendered  such  a  luxury  impossible. 
They  observed  with  interest  everything  that  could 
be  seen  from  the  deck,  especially  the  verdure- 
crowned  hills,  and  the  valleys  green  with  the  rich 
vegetation  of  the  country. 

If  they  could  not  go  on  shore,  they  could  at 
least  move  about  a  little  in  the  boat,  which  would 
be  some  relief  from  the  monotony  of  their  confined 
home.  They  got  into  the  boat  with  a  warning 
from  Mr.  Watts  not  to  go  far  from  the  schooner, 
and  not  to  approach  any  other  vessel,  which  might 
have  the  yellow  fever  on  board.  Noddy  sculled 
about  on  the  smooth  water  for  a  time,  till  it  was 
nearly  dark,  and  Mollie  thought  it  was  time  to 
return  on  board.  As  she  spoke,  she  went  forward 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  175 

and  stood  up  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  ready  t/i 
step  upon  the  accommodation  ladder. 

44  Noddy,  do  you  see  these  great  fishes  in  the 
water  ?  "  asked  fcshe. 

"  Yes,  I  see  them." 

"Do  you  know  what  they  are?"  continued  she, 
as  she  turned  round  to  receive  the  answer. 

She  was  accustomed  to  boats,  and  her  familiarity 
with  them  made  her  as  fearless  as  her  companion. 

44  I  never  saw  any  like  them  before,"  replied 
Noddy,  still  sculling  the  boat  towards  the  Roebuck. 

44  What  do  you  think  they  are  ? "  added  she, 
with  one  of  those  smiles  which  children  wear  when 
they  are  conscious  of  being  wiser  than  their  com 
panions. 

"  I  haven't  any  idea  what  they  are ;  but  they 
look  ugly  enough  to  be  snakes." 

14  I've  seen  lots  of  them  before,  and  I  know 
what  they  are.  I  like  you  very  well,  Noddy ;  and 
I  ask  you,  as  a  particular  favor,  not  to  fall  over 
board,"  said  she,  with  a  smile,  at  what  she  re* 
garded  as  a  very  pretty  joke. 

"  What  are  they,  Mollie  ? " 


176  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

"  They  are   sharks,  Noddy." 

"  Sharks !  "  exclaimed  the  boy,  who  had  heard 
Ben  tell  awful  stories  about  the  voracity  of  these 
terrible  creatures. 

"  Yes,  they  are  sharks,  and  big  ones,  too." 

"  Sit  down,  Mollie.  I  don't  like  to  see  you 
stand  up  there.  You  might  fall  overboard,"  said 
Noddy,  who  actually  shuddered  as  he  recalled  the 
fearful  stories  he  had  heard  about  these  savage 
fish. 

"  I'm  not  afraid.  I'm  just  as  safe  here  as  1 
should  be  on  board  the  Roebuck.  I've  seen  sharks 
before,  and  got  used  to  them.  I  like  to  watch 
them." 

At  that  moment  the  boat  struck  upon  something 
in  the  water,  which  might  have  been  a  log,  or  one 
of  the  ravenous  monsters,  whose  back  fins  could  be 
seen  above  the  water,  as  they  lay  in  wait  for 
their  prey.  It  was  some  heavy  body,  and  it  in 
stantly  checked  the  progress  of  the  boat,  and  the 
sudden  stoppage  precipitated  the  poor  girl  over  the 
bow  into  the  sea.  Noddy's  blood  seemed  to 
freeze  in  his  veins  as  he  realized  the  horrible 


THE   DECISIVE   MOMENT — Page  177. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE,  177 

situation  of  Mollie  in  the  water,  surrounded  by 
sharks.  He  expected  to  see  her  fair  form  severed 
in  twain  by  the  fierce  creatures.  He  could  swim 
like  a  duck,  and  his  first  impulse  was  to  leap 
overboard,  and  save  the  poor  girl  or  perish  with 
her  in  the  attempt. 

A  shout  from  the  schooner  laden  with  the  agony 
of  mortal  anguish  saluted  his  ears  as  Mollie  struck 
the  water.  It  was  the  voice  of  Captain  McOlin- 
tock,  who  had  come  on  deck,  and  had  witnessed 
the  fearful  catastrophe.  The  voice  went  to  Noddy's 
soul.  He  saw  the  slight  form  of  Mollie  as  she 
rose  to  the  surface,  and  began  to  struggle  towards 
the  boat.  The  cabin-boy  sculled  with  all  his  might 
for  an  instant,  which  brought  the  boat  up  to  the 
spot ;  but  he  was  horrified  to  see  that  she  was 
followed  by  a  monstrous  shark.  Noddy  seized  the 
boat-hook,  and  sprang  forward  just  as  the  greedy 
fish  was  turning  over  upon  his  side,  with  open 
mouth,  to  snap  up  his  prey. 

Noddy,  aware  that  the  decisive  moment  for  ac 
tion  had  come,  and  feeling,  as  by  instinct,  that  a 
miscalculation  on  his  part  would  be  fatal  to  poor 


178  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

Mollie,  poised  his  weapon,  and  made  a  vigorous 
lunge  at  the  savage  fish.  By  accident,  rather  than 
by  design,  the  boat-hook  struck  the  shark  in  the 
eye ;  and  with  a  fearful  struggle  he  disappeared 
beneath  the  surface.  Grasping  the  extended  arm 
of  Mollie,  he  dragged  her  into  the  boat  before 
another  of  the  monsters  could  attack  her. 

"  0,  Noddy ! "  gasped  she,  as  she  sank  down 
upon  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  overcome  by  terror, 
rather  than  by  her  exertions,  —  for  she  had  been 
scarcely  a  moment  in  the  water. 

"  You  are  safe  now,  Mollie.  Don't  be  afraid," 
said  Noddy,  in  soothing  tones,  though  his  own 
utterance  was  choked  by  the  fearful  emotions  he 
had  endured. 

"  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  I  thank  thee 
that  thou  hast  preserved  my  life,  and  saved  me 
from  the  terrible  shark,"  said  Mollie,  as  she  clasped 
her  hands  and  looked  up  to  the  sky. 

It  was  a  prayer  from  the  heart,  and  the  good 
Father  seemed  to  be  nearer  to  Noddy  than  ever 
before.  He  felt  that  some  other  hand  than  his 
own  had  directed  the  weapon  which  had  van 
quished  the  shark. 


NODDY     NEWMAN      O>"     A     CRUISE.  179 

"  0,  Noddy,  you  have  saved  me,"  cried  Mollie, 
as  she  rose  from  her  knees,  upon  which  she  had 
thrown  herself  before  she  uttered  her  simple  but 
devout  prayer. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  are  safe,  Mollie !  But  was  it 
me  that  saved  you  : "  asked  Noddy,  as  he  pointed 
up  to  the  sky,  with  a  sincere  feeling  that  he  had 
had  very  little  to  do  with  her  preservation,  though 
he  was  so  deeply  impressed  by  the  event  that  he 
could  not  utter  the  sacred  name  of  the  Power 
which  in  that  awful  moment  seemed  to  surround 
him,  and  to  be  in  his  very  heart. 

*•  It  was  God  who  preserved  me,"  said  she, 
looking  reverently  upward  again  ;  "  but  he  did  it 
through  you ;  and  I  may  thank  you,  too,  for  what 
you  have  done.  O,  Noddy,  you  have  been  my 
best  earthly  friend ;  for  what  would  my  poor 
father  have  done  if  the  shark  had  killed  me  ? " 

Noddy  sculled  towards  the  Roebuck,  for  he 
knew,  that  Captain  McClintock  was  anxiously 
awaiting  their  return.  When  the  boat  touched  the 
accommodation  ladder,  the  anxious  father  sprang 
on  board,  not  knowing  even  then  that  his  daughtel 


180  WORK     AND     WI3,     OR 

was  entirely  safe.  He  had  seen  Noddy  draw  her 
into  the  boat,  but  he  feared  she  had  lost  a  leg  or 
an  arm,  for  he  was  aware  that  the  harbor  swarmed 
with  the  largest  and  fiercest  of  the  merciless  "  sea- 
pirates." 

"  My  poor  child  !  "  exclaimed  he,  as  he  clasped 
her  in  his  arms,  dreading  even  then  to  know  the 
worst. 

"Dear  father  !  "    replied  she. 

"Are  you  hurt?" 

"  Not  at  all." 

"  Were  there  no  sharks  out  there  ?  " 

"  I  guess  there  were  !  "    replied  she,  significantly. 

"  One  of  them  had  just  heeled  over  to  snap  at 
her,"  added  Noddy.  "  I  never  was  so  frightened 
in  my  life." 

"  Good  Heaven !  "    gasped  the  captain. 

"  I  gave  myself  up  -for  lost,"  said  Mollie,  shud 
dering,  as  she  recalled  that  fearful  moment. 

"  Well,  what  prevented  him  from  taking  hold  of 
you  ? "  asked  Captain  McClintock,  who  had  not 
been  near  enough  to  discern  precisely  what  had 
taken  place  in  the  boat. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  181 

"  Noddy  saved  me,  father.  He  jammed  the 
boat-hook  right  into  the  shark's  head.  In  another 
instant  the  creature  would  have  had  me  in  his 
mouth.  O,  father,  it  was  such  an  awful  death 
to  think  of —  to  be  bitten  by  a  shark  !  " 

"Horrible!"  groaned  the  father.  "  Xoddy,  your 
hand  !  You  and  I  shall  be  friends  to  the  last 
day  of  my  life." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  the  heroic  boy,  as 
he  took  the  proffered  hand.  "  I  did  the  best  I 
could ;  but  I  was  so  scared  !  I  was  afraid  the 
shark  would  catch  her  in  spite  of  me." 

"  God  bless  you,  Xoddy !  But  come  on  board, 
and  we  will  talk  it  over." 

Captain  McClintock  handed  Mollie,  still  dripping 
with  water,  to  Mr.  Watts,  who  had  been  an  in 
terested  spectator  of  the  touching  scene  in  the 
boat ;  and  she  was  borne  to  the  cabin  amid  the 
congratulations  of  the  crew,  with  whom  she  was  a 
great  favorite. 

16 


1  0<2  WORK     AND     WIN,     OB 


CHAPTER     XIV. 

THE     YELLOW     FEVER. 

MOLLIE  went  to  her  state-room,  and  changed  her 
clothes ;  and  she  did  not  come  out  till  she  had 
kneeled  down  and  poured  forth  another  prayer  of 
thanksgiving  for  her  safety  from  the  horrible  mon 
ster  that  would  have  devoured  her.  Her  father 
kissed  her  again,  as  she  returned  to  the  cabin. 
He  was  as  grateful  as  she  was,  and  he  took  no 
pains  to  conceal  the  emotions  which  agitated  him. 

"  Now  tell  me  all  about  it,  Mollie,"  said  he. 
"  How  happened  you  to  fall  overboard  ? " 

"  I  was  careless,  father.  Noddy  was  persuading 
me  to  sit  down  at  the  moment  when  I  went  over 
board,"  replied  she. 

"  I  was  afraid  of  the  sharks  as  soon  as  I  knew 
what  they  were ;  and  I  was  thinking  what  an 
awful  thing  it  would  be  if  she  should  fall  over 
board,"  added  Noddy. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CBU1SE.  183 

"  If  I  had  minded  you,  Noddy,  I  shouldn't  hate 
been  in  danger." 

The  story  was  told  by  the  two  little  adventurers, 
each  correcting  or  helping  out  the  other,  till  the 
whole  truth  was  obtained.  It  was  evident  to  the 
captain  and  the  mate,  that  Noddy  had  behaved 
with  vigor  and  decision,  and  that,  if  he  had  been 
less  prompt  and  energetic,  poor  Mollie  must  have 
become  the  victim  of  the  ravenous  shark. 

"  You  have  saved  her  life,  Noddy  ;  that's  plain 
enough,"  said  Captain  McClintock,  as  he  rose  and 
went  to  his  state-room. 

"  You  were  smart,  my  boy,  and  you  deserve  a 
great  deal  of  credit,"  added  Mr.  Watts. 

"  I  don't  mind  that ;  I  was  too  glad  to  get  her 
out  of  the  water  to  think  of  anything  else." 

"  Well,  Noddy,  you  did  good  work  that  time,  and 
you  have  won  a  great  deal  of  honor  by  it." 

"  You  shall  win  something  better  than  that, 
Noddy,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  returned  to  the 
cabin  with  a  little  bag  in  his  hand.  "  Here  are 
ten  gold  pieces,  my  boy  — one  hundred  dollars." 

He    handed    Noddy    the    bright    coins ;    but   the 


ioi  WORK     AND     WI.V,     OR 

little  hero's  face  flushed,  and  he  looked  as  discon 
tented  as  though  he  had  been  robbed  of  the  honor 
of  his  exploit. 

"  You  shall  win  a  hundred  dollars  by  the  opera 
tion,"  continued  the  captain. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,  but  I  don't  want  any  money 
for  that,"  replied  Noddy,  whose  pride  revolted  a( 
the  idea,  however  tempting  the  money  looked  to  him. 

"  Take  it,  Noddy.  You  have  done  a  good  piece 
of  work,  and  you  ought  to  win  something  for  it," 
added  the  captain. 

"  I  don't  want  to  win  any  money  for  a  job  like 
that,  Captain  McClintock.  I  am  already  well  paid 
for  what  I  have  done.  I  can't  take  any  money  for 
it.  I  feel  too  good  already  ;  and  I  am  afraid  if  I 
took  your  gold  I  should  spoil  it  all." 

"  You  are  as  proud  as  a  lord,  Noddy." 

"  I'm  sure,  if  we  had  lost  Miss  Mollie,  I  should 
have  missed  her  as  much  as  anybody,  except  her 
father.  I  shouldn't  feel  right  to  be  paid  for  doing 
such  a  thing  as  knocking  a  shark  in  the  head.  I 
hated  the  monster  bad  enough  to  kill  him,  if  he 
hadn't  been  going  to  do  any  mischief." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  185 

"  Then  you  won't  take  this  money,  Noddy?"  con 
tinued  the  captain. 

"I'd  rather  not,  sir.  I  shouldn't  feel  right  if  I 
did." 

"  And  I  shouldn't  feel  right  if  you  didn't.  You 
don't  quite  understand  the  case,  Noddy." 

"I  think  I  do,  sir." 

"  No,  you  don't.  Let  me  tell  you  about  it.  You 
have  done  something  which  fills  me  with  gratitude 
to  you.  I  want  to  do  something  to  express  that 
gratitude.  I  don't  know  that  I  can  do  it  in  any 
other  way  just  now  than  by  making  you  a  little 
present.  I  don't  mean  to  pay  you." 

"It  looks  like  that." 

"  No,  it  don't  look  a  bit  like  it.  Do  you  think 
I  value  my  daughter's  life  at  no  more  than  a  hun 
dred  dollars?" 

"  I  know  you  do,  captain.'' 

"  If  I  expected  to  pay  you  for  what  you  have 
done,  I  should  give  you  every  dollar  I  have  in  the 
world,  and  every  dollar  which  my  property  would 
bring  if  it  were  sold  ;  and  then  I  should  fe  el  that 
you  had  not  half  got  your  due." 
16* 


186  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  I  don't  care  about  any  money,  sir,"  persisted 
Noddy. 

"  Let  me  make  you  a  present,  then.  It  would 
make  me  feel  better  to  do  something  for  you." 

"  I'm  sure  I  would  do  anything  to  accommodate 
you." 

"  Then  take  the  money." 

Noddy  took  it  very  reluctantly,  and  felt  just  as 
though  he  was  stealing  it.  Mr.  Watts  joined  with 
the  captain  in  arguing  the  matter,  and  he  finally 
felt  a  little  better  satisfied  about  it.  When  he 
realized  that  he  was  the  honest  possessor  of  so 
large  a  sum,  he  felt  like  a  rich  man,  and  could  not 
help  thinking  of  the  pleasure  it  would  afford  him 
to  pour  all  these  gold  coins  into  Bertha's  lap,  and 
tell  how  he  had  won  them. 

Mollie  had  something  to  say  about  the  matter, 
and  of  course  she  took  her  father's  side  of  the 
question ;  and  the  captain  concluded  the  debate  by 
assuring  Noddy,  if  his  daughter  had  to  die,  he 
would  give  more  than  a  hundred  dollars  to  save  her 
from  the  maw  of  a  shark,  that  she  might  die  less 
horribly  by  drowning.  On  the  whole,  the  cabin-boy 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  187 

was  pretty  well  satisfied  that  he  had  won  the  money 
honestly,  and  he  carefully  bestowed  it  with  his  cloth 
ing  in  his  berth. 

Early  in  the  morning  Mr.  Watts  went  on  shore 
with  a  boat's  crew,  to  commence  bringing  off  the 
water  casks.  It  required  the  whole  forenoon  to 
remove  the  old  casks,  and  stow  the  new  ones  in 
the  hold.  About  eleven  o'clock  the  mate  complained 
of  a  chilly  sensation,  and  a  pain  in  his  back,  which 
was  followed  up  by  a  severe  headache.  He  was 
soon  compelled  to  leave  his  work,  and  take  to  his 
berth  in  the  cabin.  The  next  boat  from  the  shore 
brought  off  a  surgeon,  who  promptly  pronounced 
the  disease  the  yellow  fever. 

Before  the  Roebuck  could  get  off,  two  of  the 
sailors  were  attacked  by  the  terrible  malady.  The 
only  safety  for  the  rest  was  in  immediate  flight ; 
and  the  schooner  got  under  way,  and  stood  out  to 
se:i.  The  doctor  had  left  ample  directions  for  the 
treatment  of  the  disease,  but  the  medicines  appeared 
to  do  no  good.  Mr.  Watts  was  delirious  before 
night.  The  two  men  in  the  forecastle  were  no 
better,  and  the  prospect  on  board  the  vessel  was 
as  gloomy  as  it  could  be. 


188  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

Mollie  stood  by  the  sufferer  in  the  cabin,  in  spite 
of  the  protest  of  her  father.  She  knew  what  thfc 
fever  was ;  but  she  seemed  to  be  endued  with  a 
courage  which  was  more  than  human.  She  nursed 
the  sick  man  tenderly,  and  her  simple  prayer  for 
his  recovery  ascended  every  hour  during  the  long 
night.  One  of  the  men  forward  died  before  morn 
ing,  and  was  committed  to  the  deep  by  his  terrified 
messmates,  without  even  a  form  of  prayer  over  his 
plague-stricken  remains. 

Towards  night,  on  the  second  day  out  of  Barba- 
does,  Mr.  Watts  breathed  his  last.  By  the  light  of 
the  lanterns,  his  cold  form  was  placed  on  a  plank 
extended  over  the  rail.  Mollie  would  not  permit 
him  to  be  buried  in  his  watery  grave  without  a 
prayer,  and  Captain  McClintock  read  one.  Many 
tears  were  shed  over  him,  as  his  body  slid  off 
into  the  sea.  Noddy  and  Mollie  wept  bitterly,  for 
they  felt  that  they  had  lost  a  good  friend. 

There  was  only  one  more  patient  on  board,  and 
he  seemed  to  be  improving  ;  but  before  the  morn 
ing  sun  rose,  red  and  glaring  on  the  silent  ocean, 
there  were  three  more.  Captain  McClintock  was 


NODDY      NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  89 

one  of  them.  There  was  none  to  take  care  of  him 
but  Mollie  and  Noddy;  and  both  of  them,  regard 
less  of  the  demands  of  their  own  bodies,  kept  vigil 
by  his  couch.  More  faithful  nurses  a  sick  man  never 
had.  They  applied  the  remedies  which  had  been 
Used  before. 

On  the  following  day  two  more  of  the  crew  were 
committed  to  their  ocean  graves,  and  despair  reigned 
throughout  the  vessel.  The  captain  grew  worse 
every  hour,  and  poor  Mollie  was  often  compelled  to 
leave  the  bedside  that  he  might  not  sec  her  weeping 
over  him.  He  soon  became  delirious,  and  did  not 
even  know  her. 

"  O,  Noddy,"  exclaimed  she,  when  she  fully 
realized  the  situation  of  her  father,  "  I  shall  soon 
be  alone." 

"  Don't  give  up,  Mollie,"  replied  the  cabin-boy, 
sadly. 

"  I  have  prayed  till  I  fear  my  prayers  are  no 
longer  heard,"  sobbed  she. 

"  Yes,  they  are,  Mollie.  Don't  stop  praying," 
said  Noddy,  who  knew  that  the  poor  girl  had 
derived  a  great  deal  of  hope  and  comfort  from  her 
prayers. 


190  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

He  had  seen  her  kneel  down  when  she  was 
almost  overcome  by  the  horrors  which  surrounded 
them,  and  rise  as  calm  and  hopeful  as  though  she 
had  received  a  message  direct  from  on  high.  Per 
haps  he  had  no  real  faith  in  her  prayers,  but  he 
saw  what  strength  she  derived  from  them.  Certainly 
they  had  not  warded  off  the  pestilence,  which  was 
still  seeking  new  victims  on  board.  But  they  were 
the  life  of  Mollie's  struggling  existence  ;  and  it  was 
with  the  utmost  sincerity  that  he  had  counselled 
her  to  continue  them. 

"  My  father  will  die !  "  groaned  the  poor  girl. 
"  Nothing  can  save  him  now." 

"  No,  he  won't  die.  He  isn't  very  bad  yet, 
Mollie." 

"  O,  yes,  he  is.  He  does  not  speak  to  me ;  he 
does  not  know  me." 

"  He  is  doing  very  well,  Mollie.  Don't  give  it 
up  yet." 

"  I  feel  that  he  will  soon  leave  me." 

"  No,  he  won't,  Mollie.  I  know  he  will  get  well," 
said  Noddy,  with  the  most  determined  emphasis- 

'*  How  do  you  know  ?  " 


NODDY     NEWMAN*      ON     A    CRUISE.  191 

"  I  feel  that  he  will.  He  isn't  half  so  bad  as 
Mr.  Watts  was.  Cheer  up,  and  he  will  be  all  right 
in  a  few  days." 

44  But  think  how  terrible  it  would  be  for  my 
poor  father  to  die,  away  here  in  the  middle  of  the 
ocean,"  continued  Mollie,  weeping  most  bitterly,  as 
she  thought  of  the  future. 

"  But  he  will  not  die ;  I  am  just  as  sure  that  he 
will  get  well,  as  I  am  that  I  am  alive  now." 

Noddy  had  no  reason  whatever  f>r  this  strong 
assertion,  and  he  made  it  only  to  comfort  his  friend. 
It  was  not  made  in  vain,  for  the  afflicted  daughter 
was  willing  to  cling  to  any  hope,  however  slight, 
and  the  confident  words  of  the  boy  made  an  im 
pression  upon  her.  The  morrow  came,  and  the 
captain  was  decidedly  better ;  but  from  the  fore 
castle  came  the  gloomy  report  that  two  more  of 
the  men  had  been  struck  down  by  the  disease. 

There  were  but  three  seamen  left  who  were  able 
to  do  duty,  and  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  second  mate,  was 
nearly  exhausted  by  watching  and  anxiety.  Fortu 
nately,  the  weather  had  been  fine,  and  the  Roebuck 
had  been  under  all  sail,  with  a  fair  wind.  Noddy 


192  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

had  obtained  a  little  sleep  during  the  second  night 
of  the  captain's  illness,  and  he  went  on  deck  to 
report  to  the  mate  for  duty.  He  was  competent  to 
steer  the  vessel  in  a  light  breeze,  and  he  was  per 
mitted  to  relieve  the  man  at  the  wheel. 

He  stood  his  trick  of  two  hours,  and  then  went, 
below,  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  the  captain. 
As  he  descended  the  ladder,  he  discovered  the  form 
of  Mollie  extended  on  one  of  the  lockers.  Her 
face  was  flushed,  and  she  was  breathing  heavily. 
Noddy  was  appalled  at  this  sight,  for  he  knew  too 
well  what  these  indications  meant. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Mollie  ?  "  asked  he,  hardly 
able  to  speak  the  words  from  the  violence  of  his 
emotion. 

"It  is  my  turn  now,  Noddy,"  replied  she,  in 
faint  tones.  "  Who  will  pray  for  me  ?  " 

"I  will,  Mollie;    but  what  ails  you?" 

"  I  am  burning  up  with  heat,  and  perishing  with 
cold.  My  back  feels  as  if  it  was  broken,  and  the 
pain  darts  up  through  my  neck  into  my  head.  1 
know  very  well  what  it  means.  You  will  take  care 
of  my  poor  father  —  won't  you,  Noddy?" 


NODDY     NEWM.VN*      OX      A.     CRUISE.  193 

"  To  be  sure  I  will.  You  must  turn  in,  Mollie, 
and  let  me  take  care  of  you,  too,"  said  he,  trying 
to  be  as  calm  as  the  terrible  situation  required  of 
him. 

He  assisted  ^he  stricken  maiden  to  her  state 
room,  and  placed  her  in  her  berth.  Taking  from 
the  medicine  chest  the  now  familiar  remedy,  ho 
gave  her  the  potion,  and  tenderly  ministered  to  all 
her  wants.  She  was  very  sick,  for  s'le  had  struggled 
;vith  the  destroying  malady  for  hours  before  she 
yielded  to  its  insidious  advances. 

"Thank  you,  Noddy.  I  feel  better  now,  and  I 
whall  soon  be  happy.  Go  now  and  see  to  my  father ; 
don't  let  him  want  for  anything." 

**  I  will  not,  Mollie  ;  I  will  take  first-rate  care  of 
him,"  answered  Noddy,  as  he  smoothed  down  the 
Nothing  around  her  neck. 

"  My  father  is  the  captain  of  the  ship,  you 
know,"  added  she,  with  a  smile.  "  He  is  a  great 
man ;  bigger  than  any  shark  you  ever  saw." 

Her  mind  had  begun  to  wander  already  ;  and  her 
patient  nurse  could  hardly  keep  down  his  tears,  as 
he  gazed  at  her  flushed  cheeks,  and  smoothed  down 
17 


194  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

the  curls  upon  her  neck.  She  was  beautiful  to 
him  —  too  beautiful  to  die  there  in  mid  ocean,  with 
none  but  rude  men  to  shed  great  tears  over  her 
silent  form.  How  he  wished  that  Bertha  was  there, 
to  watch  over  that  frail  little  form,  and  ward  off 
the  grim  tyrant  that  was  struggling  to  possess  it ! 
She  would  not  fear  the  fangs  of  the  pestilence  ; 
she  would  be  an  angel  in  the  little  state-room,  and 
bring  down  peace  and  hope,  if  not  life,  to  the 
lovely  sufferer . 

Noddy  felt  as  he  had  never  felt  before,  not  even 
when  the  dread  monster  of  the  deep  had  almost 
snapped  up  the  slight  form  before  him.  All  the 
good  lessons  he  had  ever  learned  in  his  life  came 
to  him  with  a  force  they  had  never  possessed  in 
the  sunny  hour  of  prosperity.  He  wanted  to  pray. 
He  felt  the  need  of  a  strength  not  his  own.  Mollie 
could  not  pray  now.  Her  mind  was  darkened  by 
the  shadows  of  disease.  He  went  out  into  the 
cabin.  It  looked  as  cheerless,  and  cold,  and  gloomy, 
as  the  inside  of  a  tomb.  But  God  was  there ;  and 
though  Noddy  could  not  speak  the  words  of  his 
prayer,  his  heart  breathed  a  spirit  which  the  infi- 


NODDY     NEW-MAN     ON    A     CRUISE.  195 

nite  Father  could  understand.  He  prayed,  as  he 
had  promised  the  sick  girl  he  would,  and  the  strength 
which  prayer  had  given  to  her  was  given  to  him. 

"  Here  is  work  for  me,"  said  he,  as  he  approached 
the  door  of  the  captain's  state-room.  "  But  I  am 
able  to  do  it.  I  will  never  give  up  this  work." 

He  did  not  know  what  he  was  to  win  by  this 
work  of  love,  amid  trials  and  tribulation.  He  had 
struggled  with  the  disposition  to  despond ;  he 
had  worked  like  a  hero  to  keep  his  spirits  up  ; 
and  that  which  he  was  called  upon  to  do  with 
his  hands  was  small  and  trivial  compared  with 
that  which  was  done  by  his  mind  and  heart. 
He  had  conquered  fear  and  despair. 

Thus  prepared  to  battle  with  the  giant  ills  which 
surrounded  him,  he  entered  Captain  McClintock'i 
room. 


196  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 


CHAPTER     XV. 

THE     DEMON     OF     THE     CUP. 

"  Is  that  you,  Noddy  ? "  asked  the  captain, 
faintly. 

"  Yes,  sir.     How  do  you  feel,  captain  ? " 

"  I  think  I'm  a  little  better.  I  wish  you  would 
ask  Mollie  to  come  in ;  I  want  to  see  her." 

"  Does  your  head  ache  now,  sir : "  asked  Noddy, 
who  did  not  like  to  tell  him  that  his  daughter  had 
just  been  taken  with  the  fever. 

"  Not  so  bad  as  it  did.       Just  speak  to  Mollie." 

"  I  think  you  are  ever  so  much  better,  sir.  You 
will  be  out  in  a  day  or  two." 

"  Do  you  think  so,  Noddy  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I'm  certain  you  will,"  answered  the 
boy,  who  knew  that  faith  was  life  in  the  present 
instance. 

"  I'm  glad  you  %ink  so.     I  certainly  feel  a  great 


NODDY    NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  197 

deal  better,"  replied  the  captain,  as  though  he  was 
already  cheered  by  the  inspiration  of  hope. 

"  You  must  be  careful,  and  keep  still ;  and  you 
will  be  all  right  in  a  week,  at  the  most." 

"  I  hope  so  ;  for  I  couldn't  help  thinking,  when 
I  was  taken  down,  what  a  bitter  thing  it  would  be 
to  poor  Mollie  if  I  should  die  so  far  from  home 
and  friends." 

"  You  have  got  over  the  worst  of  it  now,  cap 
tain." 

"  Is  Mollie  out  in  the  cabin  ? "  asked  the  suf 
ferer,  persistently  returning  to  the  subject  near 
his  heart. 

"  No,  sir ;    she  is  not,  just  now." 

"  Has  she  gone  on  deck  ? " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Where  is  she,  Noddy  ?  "  demanded  he,  earnest 
ly,  as  he  attempted  to  raise  himself  up  in  his  cot. 

"  Don't  stir,  captain ;  it  will  make  you  worse, 
if  you  do." 

"  Tell  me  where  Mollie  is  at  once,  or  I  shall 
jump  out  of  my  berth.  Is  she  —  is  she  —  " 

"  She  is  in  her  room,  captain.  Don't  be  wor- 
17* 


198  WOBK     AND     WIN,     OR 

ried  about  her,"  replied  Noddy,  who  was  afraid 
that  the  truth  would  have  a  bad  effect  upon  the 
devoted  father.  "  She  laid  down  a  little  while  ago." 

"  Is  she  dead  ? "  gasped  the  captain,  with  a 
mighty  effort  to  utter  the  appalling  word. 

"  O,  no,  sir !  She  was  taken  sick  a  little  while 
ago." 

"  O,  mercy !  "  groaned  the  sick  man.  "  I  know 
it  all  now." 

"  It's  no  use  to  deny  it,  sir.  She  has  got  the 
fever." 

"  And  I  lay  here  helpless  !  " 

"  She  said  she  felt  a  little  better  when  I  came 
out.  I  gave  her  the  medicine,  and  did  everything 
for  her." 

"  I  must  go  to  her." 

"  You  will  worry  her  to  death,  if  you  do,  cap 
tain.  She  is  more  troubled  about  you  than  she  is 
about  herself.  If  you  lay  still,  so  I  can  report 
that  you  are  doing  well,  it  will  be  the  best  thing 
in  the  world  for  her.  It  will  do  her  more  good 
than  the  medicine." 

"Tell  her  I  am  well,  Noddy!" 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  199 

"  It  won't  do  to  tell  her  too  much ;  she  won't 
believe  anything,  if  I  do,"  said  Noddy,  sorely 
troubled  about  the  moral  management  of  the  cases. 

"  Tell  her  I  am  well,  Noddy  ;  and  I  will  go  and 
sit  by  her,"  replied  the  sufferer,  who  was  no  more 
able  to  get  out  of  his  bed  than  he  was  to  cure 
the  fearful  disease. 

"  I  can't  do  anything,  captain,  if  you  don't  keep 
still  in  your  bed.  She  is  a  little  out  just  now ; 
but  I  think  she  will  do  very  well,  if  you  only  let 
her  alone." 

Captain  McClintock  was  in  an  agony  of  sus 
pense  ;  but  Noddy  succeeded  in  consoling  him  so 
that  he  promised  to  remain  quietly  in  his  bed. 
As  physician  and  nurse,  as  well  as  friend  and  com 
forter,  the  cabin-boy  found  his  hands  full  :  but  he 
had  a  heart  big  enougli  for  the  occasion :  and  all 
day  and  all  night  he  went  from  one  patient  to 
another,  ministering  to  their  wants  with  as  much 
skill  and  judgment  as  though  he  had  been  trained 
in  a  sick  room. 

Mollie  grew  worse  as  the  hours  wore  heavily 
away ;  but  this  was  to  be  expected,  and  the 


200  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

patient  nurse  was  not  discouraged  by  the  progres 
sive  indications  of  the  disease.  Towards  morning 
the  captain  went  to  sleep  ;  but  it  required  all  the 
faithful  boy's  energies  to  keep  Mollie  in  her  bed, 
as  she  raved  with  the  heated  brain  of  the  malady. 

In  the  morning  one  of  the  seamen  was  reported 
out  of  danger,  and  the  others  in  a  hopeful  con 
dition.  Noddy  was  completely  exhausted  by  his 
labors  and  his  solicitude.  Mr.  Lincoln  saw  that  he 
could  endure  no  more ;  and  as  he  had  obtained  a  few 
hours'  sleep  on  deck  during  the  night,  he  insisted 
that  the  weary  boy  should  have  some  rest,  while 
he  took  care  of  the  sick.  Noddy  crawled  into  his 
berth,  and  not  even  his  anxiety  for  poor  Mollie 
could  keep  him  awake  any  longer.  He  slept 
heavily,  and  the  considerate  mate  did  not  wake 
him  till  dinner-time,  when  he  sprang  from  his 
berth  and  hastened  to  the  couch  of  the  sick  girl. 

Another  day  passed,  and  Mollie  began  to  exhibit 
some  hopeful  symptoms.  Her  father  was  still  im 
proving.  The  patients  in  the  forecastle  were  also 
getting  better.  Noddy  felt  that  no  more  of  the 
Roebuck's  people  were  to  be  cast  into  the  sea. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON    A     CKUISE.  201 

Hope  gave  him  new  life.  He  was  rested  and  re 
freshed  by  the  bright  prospect  quite  as  much  as 
by  the  sleep  which  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
enabled  him  to  obtain. 

The  schooner  still  sped  on  her  course  with  fa 
voring  breezes ;  while  Noddy,  patient  and  hopeful, 
performed  the  various  duties  which  the  fell  disease 
imposed  upon  him.  He  had  not  regarded  the  dan 
ger  of  taking  the  fever  himself.  He  had  no 
thought  now  for  any  one  but  poor  Mollie,  who 
was  daily  improving.  One  by  one  the  crew,  who 
had  been  stricken  down  with  the  malady,  returned 
to  the  deck ;  but  it  was  a  long  time  before  they 
were  able  to  do  their  full  measure  of  duty.  In  a 
week  after  Mollie  was  taken  sick,  her  father  was 
able  to  sit  a  portion  of  the  day  by  her  side ;  and 
a  few  days  later,  she  was  able  to  sit  up  for  a  few 
moments. 

The  terrible  scourge  had  wasted  itself;  but  the 
chief  mate  and  three  of  the  crew  had  fallen  vic 
tims  to  the  sad  visitation.  Yellow  fever  patients 
convalesce  very  slowly ;  and  it  was  a  fortnight 
before  Captain  McClintock  was  able  to  go  on 


202  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

deck ;  but  at  the  same  time,  Mollie,  weak  and 
attenuated  by  her  sufferings,  was  helped  up  the 
ladder  by  her  devoted  friend  and  nurse.  The  cloud 
had  passed  away  from  the  vessel,  and  everybody 
on  board  was  as  happy  as  though  disease  and 
death  had  never  invaded  those  wooden  walls.  But 
the  happiness  was  toned  to  the  circumstances. 
Hearts  had  been  purified  by  suffering.  Neither  the 
officers  nor  the  men  swore ;  they  spoke  to  each 
other  in  gentle  tones,  as  though  the  tribulations 
through  which  they  had  passed  had  softened  their 
hearts,  and  bound  them  together  in  a  holier  than 
earthly  affection. 

As  Mr.  Watts  and  three  sailors  had  died,  the 
vessel  was  short-handed,  but  not  crippled ;  and  the 
captain  decided  to  prosecute  his  voyage  without 
putting  into  any  port  for  assistance.  Mr.  Lin 
coln  was  appointed  chief  mate,  and  a  second  mate 
was  selected  from  the  forecastle.  Everything  went 
along  as  before  the  storm  burst  upon  the  devoted 
vessel. 

"  How  happy  I  am,  Noddy  !  "  exclaimed  Mollie, 
as  they  sat  on  deck  one  afternoon,  when  she  had 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON    A    CRUISE.  203 

nearly  recovered  her  strength.  "  My  father  was 
saved,  and  I  am  saved.  How  grateful  I  am ! " 

"  So  am  I,  Mollie,"  replied  Noddy. 

"  And  how  much  we  both  owe  to  you !  Wasn't 
it  strange  you  didn't  take  the  fever  ? " 

"  I  think  it  was." 

"Were  you  not  afraid  of  it?" 

"I  didn't  think  anything  about  it,  any  way; 
but  I  feel  just  as  though  I  had  gone  through  with 
the  fever,  or  something  else." 

"  Why  ? " 

"  I  don't  know ;  everything  looks  odd  and 
strange  to  me.  I  don't  feel  like  the  same  fellow." 

Mollie  persisted  in  her  desire  to  know  how  the 
cabin-boy  felt,  and  Noddy  found  it  exceedingly 
difficult  to  describe  his  feelings.  Much  of  the 
religious  impressions  which  he  had  derived  from 
the  days  of  tribulation  still  clung  to  him.  His 
views  of  life  and  death  had  changed.  Many  of 
Bertha's  teachings,  which  he  could  not  understand 
before,  were  very  plain  to  him  now.  He  did  not 
believe  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  do  any 
thing  wrong  again.  Hopes  and  fears  had  been  his 


204  WOBK   AND   WIN,    OR 

incentives  to  duty  before ;  principle  had  grown  up 
in  his  soul  now.  The  experience  of  years  seemed 
to  be  crowded  into  the  few  short  days  when 
gloom  and  death  reigned  in  the  vessel. 

The  Roebuck  sped  on  her  way,  generally  fa 
vored  with  good  weather  and  fair  winds.  She 
was  a  stanch  vessel,  and  behaved  well  in  the 
few  storms  she  encountered.  She  doubled  Cape 
Horn  without  subjecting  her  crew  to  any  severe 
hardships,  and  sped  on  her  way  to  more  genial 
climes.  For  several  weeks  after  his  recovery, 
Captain  McClintock  kept  very  steady,  and  Mollie 
hoped  that  the  "evil  days"  had  passed  by.  It 
was  a  vain  hope ;  for  when  the  schooner  entered 
the  Pacific,  his  excesses  were  again  apparent. 
He  went  on  from  bad  to  worse,  till  he  was 
sober  hardly  a  single  hour  of  the  day.  In  vain 
did  Mollie  plead  with  him ;  in  vain  she  re 
minded  him  of  the  time  when  they  had  both 
lain  at  death's  door :  in  vain  she  assured  him 
that  she  feared  the  bottle  more  than  the  fever. 
He  was  infatuated  by  the  demon  of  the  cup,  and 
seemed  to  have  no  moral  power  left. 


>'ODDY    M:WMAN    ON    A    CRUISE.  20-5 

The  Roebuck  was  approaching  the  thick  clus 
ters  of  islands  that  stud  the  Pacific ;  and  it  was 
important  that  the  vessel  should  be  skilfully  navi 
gated.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  good  seaman,  but  he 
was  not  a  navigator ;  that  is,  he  was  not  com 
petent  to  find  the  latitude  and  longitude,  and  lay 
down  the  ship's  position  on  the  chart.  The  cap 
tain  was  seldom  in  condition  to  make  an  observa 
tion,  and  the  schooner  was  in  peril  of  being 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks.  The  mate  was 
fully  alive  to  the  difficulties  of  his  position ;  and 
he  told  Mollie  what  must  be  the  consequences 
of  her  father's  continued  neglect.  The  sea  in 
which  they  were  then  sailing  was  full  of  islands 
and  coral  reefs.  There  were  indications  of  a 
storm,  and  he  could  not  save  the  vessel  without 
knowing  where  she  was. 

"  Noddy,"  said  the  troubled  maiden,  after  Mr. 
Lincoln  had  explained  the  situation  to  her,  "  I 
want  you  to  help  me." 

"  I'm  ready,"  replied  he,  with  his  usual  prompt 
ness. 

"  We  are  going  to  ruin.  My  poor  father  is 
18 


206  WORK     AXI)     WIX,     OR 

in  a  terrible  state,  and  1  am  going  to  do  some 
thing." 

"  What  can  you  do  ?  " 

"  You  shall  help  me,  but  I  will  bear  all  the 
blame." 

"  You  would  not  do  anything  wrong,  and  I  am 
willing  to  bear  the  blame  with  you." 

"  Never  mind  that ;  we  are  going  to  do  what's 
right,  and  we  will  not  say  a  word  about  the  blame. 
Now  come  with  me,"  she  continued,  leading  the 
way  to  the  cabin. 

"  I  am  willing  to  do  anything  that  is  right, 
wherever  the  blame  falls." 

"  We  must  save  the  vessel,  for  the  mate  says 
she  is  in  great  danger.  There  is  a  storm  coming, 
and  Mr.  Lincoln  don't  know  where  we  are.  Fa 
ther  hasn't  taken  an  observation  for  four  days." 

"  Well,  are  you  going  to  take  one  ? "  asked 
Noddy,  who  was  rather  bewildered  by  Mollie's 
statement  of  the  perils  of  the  vessel. 

"  No ;  but  I  intend  that  father  shall  to-morrow." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

She  opened  the  pantry  door,  and  took  from  the 
shelf  a  bottle  of  gin. 


NODDY      NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  207 

"  Take  this,  Noddy,  and  throw  it  overboard," 
said  she,  handing  him  the  bottle. 

"  I'll  do  that ;  '  and  he  went  to  the  bull's  eye, 
in  Mollie's  state-room,  and  dropped  it  into  the  sea. 

"  That's  only  a  part  of  the  work,"  said  she,  as 
she  opened  one  of  the  lockers  in  the  cabin,  which 
was  stowed  full  of  liquors. 

She  passed  them  out,  two  at  a  time,  and  Noddy 
dropped  them  all  into  the  ocean.  Captain  McClin- 
tock  was  lying  in  his  state-room,  in  a  helpless 
state  of  intoxication,  so  that  there  was  no  fear 
of  interruption  from  him.  Every  bottle  of  wine, 
ale,  and  liquor  which  the  cabin  contained  was 
thrown  overboard.  Noddy  thought  that  the  sharks, 
which  swallow  everything  that  falls  overboard, 
would  all  get  "  tight ; "  but  he  hoped  they  would 
break  the  bottles  before  they  swallowed  them.  The 
work  was  done,  and  everything  which  could  in 
toxicate  was  gone  ;  at  least  everything  which  Mol- 
lie  and  the  cabin-boy  could  find.  They  did  not 
tell  Mr.  Lincoln  what  they  had  done,  for  they 
did  not  wish  to  make  him  a  party  to  the  trans- 
action. 


208  WOKK     AND     WIN,     OR 

They  were  satisfied  with  their  work.  The  vessel 
would  be  saved  if  the  storm  held  .off  twelve 
hours  longer.  The  captain  rose  early  the  next 
morning,  and  Noddy,  from  his  berth,  saw  him  go 
to  the  pantry  for  his  morning  dram.  There  was 
no  bottle  there.  He  went  to  the  locker ;  there 
was  none  there.  He  searched,  without  success,  in 
all  the  lockers  and  berths  of  the  cabin.  While 
he  was  engaged  in  the  search,  Mollie,  who  had 
heard  him,  came  out  of  her  room. 

The  captain's  hand  shook,  and  his  whole  frame 
trembled  from  the  effects  of  his  long  inebriation. 
His  nerves  were  shattered,  and  nothing  but  liquor 
could  quiet  them.  Mollie  could  not  help  crying 
when  she  saw  to  what  a  state  her  father  had 
been  reduced.  He  was  pale  and  haggard ;  and 
when  he  tried  to  raise  a  glass  of  water  to  his 
lips,  his  trembling  hand  refused  its  office,  and  he 
spilled  it  on  the  floor. 

"  Where  is  all  the  liquor,  Mollie  ? "  he  asked, 
in  shaken,  hollow  tones. 


NODDY      NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  209 

"  I  have  thrown  it  all  overboard,"  she  replied, 
firmly. 

He  was  too  weak  to  be  angry  with  her ;  and 
she  proceeded  to  tell  him  what  must  be  the  fate 
of  the  vessel,  and  of  all  on  board,  if  he  did  not 
attend  to  his  duty.  He  listened,  and  promised 
not  to  drink  another  drop  ;  for  he  knew  then, 
even  when  his  shattered  reason  held  but  partial 
sway,  that  he  would  be  the  murderer  of  his 
daughter  and  of  his  crew,  if  the  vessel  was 
wrecked  by  his  neglect.  He  meant  to  keep  his 
promise ;  but  the  gnawing  appetite,  which  he  had 
fostered  and  cherished  till  it  became  a  demon, 
would  not  let  him  do  so.  In  the  forenoon,  goaded 
by  the  insatiate  thirst  that  beset  him,  he  went 
into  the  hold,  which  could  be  entered  from  the 
cabin,  and  opened  a  case  of  liquors,  forming  part 
of  the  cargo.  He  drank  long  and  deep,  and  lay 
down  upon  the  merchandise,  that  he  might  be  near 
his  demon. 

Twelve  o'clock  came,  and  no  observation  could 
be  taken.  Mollie  looked  for  her  father,  and  with 
Noddy's  help  she  found  him  in  the  hold,  sense- 
18* 


210  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

less  in  his  inebriation.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  called 
down,  and  he  was  conveyed  to  his  berth.  The 
liquor  was  thrown  overboard,  but  it  was  too  late  ; 
before  dark  the  gale  broke  upon  the  Roebuck,  and 
fear  and  trembling  were  again  in  the  vessel. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  211 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

NIGHT     AND     STORM. 

SUDDEN  and  severe  was  the  gale  which  came 
down  upon  the  Roebuck,  while  her  captain  was 
besotted  and  helpless  in  his  berth.  Mr.  Lincoln 
did  all  that  a  skilful  seaman  could  do,  and  while 
the  wind  and  the  waves  were  the  only  perils  against 
which  the  schooner  had  to  contend,  there  was  ho 
serious  alarm  for  her  safety.  The  night  had  come, 
and  the  time  had  passed  by  when  even  Captain 
McClintock  could  do  anything  more  than  the  mate. 

Mr.  Lincoln  had  kept  the  "  dead  reckoning "  as 
well  as  he  could  without  any  knowledge  of  the 
currents  ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  vessel  was  in 
a  perilous  situation,  and  not  far  distant  from  the 
region  of  islands  and  coral  reefs.  The  first  hours 
of  the  stormy  night  wore  gloomily  away,  for  none 
knew  at  what  moment  the  schooner  might  be  dashed 
to  pieces  upon  some  hidden  rock. 


212  WOEK     AND     WIN,     OR 

When  the  captain  revived  a  little  from  the  stupor 
of  intoxication,  he  seemed  not  to  heed  the  situation 
of  the  vessel.  Taking  the  cabin  lantern,  he  went 
into  the  hold  again.  His  only  thought  seemed  to 
be  of  the  liquor  on  which  he  lived.  All  the  cases 
that  Mollie  and  Noddy  could  find  had  been  thrown 
overboard ;  but  the  drunkard  overhauled  the  cargo 
till  he  found  what  he  wanted,  and  taking  a  bottle 
of  gin  to  his  state-room,  he  was  soon  as  senseless 
as  the  fiery  fluid  could  make  him. 

Mollie  did  all  that  she  could  do  under  these 
trying  circumstances ;  she  prayed  that  the  good 
Father  who  had  saved  them  before,  would  be  with 
them  now  ;  and  she  knew  that  the  strong  arm  of 
Omnipotence  could  move  far  from  them  the  perils 
with  which  they  were  surrounded.  She  felt  better 
every  time  she  prayed.  But  the  storm  increased  in 
fury,  and  she  knew  not  the  purposes  of  \he  Infinite 
in  regard  to  them. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  se^  the  light  of 
another  day,  Noddy,"  said  she,  as  the  great  seas 
struck  with  stunning  force  against  the  side  of  the 
vessel. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  213 

"  Why  not  ?  We  have  been  out  in  a  worse  gale 
than  this,''  replied  Noddy,  who  felt  that  it  was  his 
peculiar  office  to  keep  hope  alive  in  the  heart  of 
his  gentle  companion. 

"  But  we  may  be  in  the  midst  of  the  rocks  and 
shoals.'' 

"  We  shall  do  very  well,  Mollie.  Don't  give 
it  up." 

"  I  don't  give  it  up  ;  but  I  am  ready  for  any 
thing.  I  want  to  be  resigned  to  my  fate  whenever 
it  comes." 

"  Don't  be  so  blue  about  it,  Mollie.  It  will  be 
all  right  with  us  in  the  morning." 

"  You  heard  what  Mr.  Lincoln  said,  and  you 
know  we  are  in  great  danger." 

"  Perhaps  we  are." 

*'  You  know  we  are,  Noddy." 

"  Well,  we  are  ;  but  for  all  that,  the  vessel  will 
ride  out  the  gale,  and  to-morrow  you  will  laugh  to 
think  how  scared  you  were." 

"  I  am  not  scared  ;  I  am  ready  to  die.  Promise 
me  one  thing,  Noddy." 

"  Anything,"  answered  he,  promptly. 


214  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  You  will  not  blame  my  father  if  the  vessel  is 
lost.  He  is  insane  ;  he  can't  help  what  he  does. 
He  never  did  so  before,  and  I  know  he  don't  mean 
to  do  wrong." 

"  I  suppose  he  don't,  and  I  won't  blame  him, 
whatever  happens,"  replied  he,  willing  to  comfort 
the  poor  girl  in  any  way  he  could. 

"  I  should  not  care  so  much  if  it  didn't  look  as 
though  it  was  all  father's  fault." 

"It  will  be  all  right  to-morrow.  We  will  throw 
the  rest  of  the  liquor  overboard.  We  will  search 
through  the  hold,  and  not  leave  a  single  bottle  of 
anything  there.  Then  we  shall  be  safe." 

"  It  will  be   too  late   then,"   sighed   Mollie. 

"  No,  it  won't ;  the  vessel  will  be  saved.  I 
know  it  will,"  added  Noddy,  resolutely. 

"  You  don't  know." 

"  Yes,  I  do ;  I  am  just  as  certain  of  it  as  I 
am  of  my  own  existence." 

Noddy  had  hardly  uttered  these  confident  words, 
before  a  tremendous  shock  threw  them  upon  the 
cabin  floor.  It  was  followed  by  a  terrible  crash 
ing  sound,  as  though  every  timber  in  the  vessel 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  215 

had  been  rent  and  broken ;  and  they  could  hear 
the  rush  of  waters,  as  the  torrents  poured  in  through 
the  broken  sides.  Noddy,  without  stopping  to  think 
of  the  vain  prophecy  he  had  made,  seized  the  light 
form  of  Mollie,  and  bore  her  to  the  deck.  The  sea 
was  running  riot  there ;  the  great  waves  swept 
over  the  deck  with  a  force  which  no  human  strength 
could  resist,  and  Noddy  was  compelled  to  retreat  to 
the  cabin  again. 

The  lantern  still  swung  from  a  deck  beam,  but 
the  water  had  risen  in  the  cabin  so  that  his  descent 
was  prevented.  The  Roebuck  had  run  upon  a  reef 
or  shoal  in  such  a  manner  that  her  bow  was 
projected  far  out  of  the  water,  while  her  stern 
was  almost  submerged  in  the  waves.  Noddy's 
quick  perception  enabled  him  to  comprehend  the 
position  of  the  vessel,  and  he  placed  his  charge  on 
the  companion  ladder,  which  was  protected  in  a 
measure  from  the  force  of  the  sea  by  the  hatch, 
closed  on  the  top,  and  open  only  on  the  front. 

"  My  father  !  "  gasped  Mollie.  "  Save  him, 
Noddy  ! " 

"  I  will  try,"   replied  Noddy.     "  Hold  on  tight," 


216  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

added  he,  as  a  heavy  volume  of  water  rolled  down 
the  companion-way. 

"  Save  him,  and  don't  mind  me,"  groaned  the 
poor  girl,  unselfish  to  the  last. 

The  brave  boy  stepped  down  to  the  cabin  floor, 
where  the  water  was  up  to  his  hips.  Creeping  on 
the  top  of  the  lockers,  and  holding  on  to  the  front 
of  the  berths,  he  reached  the  door  of  the  captain's 
state-room.  In  this  part  of  the  vessel  the  water  had 
risen  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  door,  and  the  berth  in 
which  the  unfortunate  inebriate  lay  was  entirely  be 
neath  its  surface.  He  crawled  into  the  room,  and  put 
his  hand  into  the  berth.  The  captain  was  not  there. 

The  water  was  still  rising,  and  Noddy  had  no 
doubt  that  the  poor  man  had  already  perished. 
The  shock  of  the  collision  when  the  schooner  struck, 
or  the  rising  waters,  had  forced  him  from  his  posi 
tion  on  the  bed.  The  water  was  over  Noddy's 
head  in  the  state-room ;  but  the  agony  of  Mollie 
induced  him  to  make  a  desperate  effort  to  save  her 
father.  He  dropped  down  on  the  floor,  and  felt 
about  with  his  feet,  till  he  found  the  body.  The 
question  was  settled.  Captain  McClintock  was  dead. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  217 

He  was  one    of    the    first  victims    of    his    criminal 
neglect. 

It  was  not  safe  to  remain  longer  in  the  state 
room,  even  if  there  had  been  any  motive  for  doing 
so,  and  Noddy  worked  his  way  forward  again  as  he 
had  come.  He  found  Mollie  still  clinging  to  the 
ladder,  suffering  everything  on  account  of  her  father, 
and  nothing  for  herself. 

"  My  poor  father  !  "  said  she,  when  she  discovered 
her  friend  coming  back  without  him.  "  Where  is 
he,  Noddy  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  do  anything  for  him,  Mollie,"  replied  he. 

"  Is  he  lost  ?  " 

"  He  is  gone,  Mollie  ;  and  it  was  all  over  with 
him  before  I  got  there.  Don't  cry.  He  is  out  of 
trouble  now." 

"  Poor  father,"  sobbed  she.  "  Couldn't  you  save 
him  ?  Let  me  go  and  help  you." 

"  No  use,  Mollie,"  added  Noddy,  as  he  climbed 
up  the  ladder,  and  looked  out  through  the  aperture 
at  the  hatch. 

"  Are  you    sure  we  can't  do  anything  for  him  ? " 
she  asked,  in  trembling  tones. 
19 


218  WORK     AND     WIN,    OR 

"  Nothing,  Mollie.  He  was  dead  when  I  opened 
the  door  of  his  room.  I  found  him  on  the  floor, 
and  had  to  go  down  over  my  head  to  find  him. 
He  did  not  move  or  struggle,  and  I'm  sure  he  is 
dead.  I  am  sorry,  but  I  can't  help  it." 

"  O,  dear,   dear !  "    groaned    she,  in    her  anguish. 

She  heeded  not  the  cracking  timbers  and  the 
roaring  sea.  Her  heart  was  with  the  unfortunate 
man  who  lay  cold  and  still  beneath  the  invading 
waters.  She  was  ready  to  go  with  him  to  the  home 
in  the  silent  land. 

"  You  hold  on  tight  a  little  while,  and  I  will  go 
on  deck,  and  see  if  I  can  make  out  where  we  are," 
said  Noddy. 

"  It  matters  little  to  me  where  we  are.  I  shall 
soon  be  with  my  father,"  replied  Mollie. 

"  Don't  say  that.     Your  father  is  at  rest  now." 

"  And  I  shall  soon  be  at  rest  with  him.  Do 
you  hear  those  terrible  waves  beat  against  the 
vessel  ?  They  will  break  her  in  pieces  in  a  few 
moments  more." 

"  Perhaps  they  will,  and  perhaps  they  won't. 
You  musn't  give  up,  Mollie.  If  I  should  lose  you 
now,  I  shouldn't  care  what  became  of  me." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  219 

"  You  have  been  very  good  to  me,  Noddy  ;  and 
I  hope  God  will  bless  you." 

"  I  want  to  save  you  if  I  can." 

"  You  cannot,  Noddy,  in  this  terrible  storm.  We 
are  poor  weak  children,  and  we  can  do  nothing." 

"  But  I  am  bound  to  work  and  win.  I  shall 
not  give  it  up  yet,  Mollie.  We  have  struck  upon 
a  rock  or  a  shoal,  and  the  land  can't  be  a  great 
ways  off." 

"  Such  an  awful  sea  !  We  could  never  reach  the 
land." 

"  We  can  try  —  can't  we  ?  " 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Lincoln  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  have  not  heard  a  sound  but 
the  noise  of  the  sea  since  the  vessel  struck.  I 
suppose  he  and  the  rest  of  the  men  were  washed 
overboard." 

"  How  horrible  !  " 

"  I  don't  know.  They  may  have  left  in  one  of 
the  boats." 

"  I  haven't  any  courage,  Noddy.  My  poor  father 
is  gone,  and  I  don't  feel  as  though  it  made  any 
difference  what  became  of  me." 


220  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Don't  talk  so,  Mollie.  Save  yourself  for  my 
sake,  if  you  don't  for  your  own." 

"  What  can  we  do  ?  "  asked  she,  blankly,  for  the 
situation  seemed  to  be  utterly  hopeless. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  will  see,"  replied  Noddy,  as  he 
crawled  through  the  aperture,  and  reached  the  deck. 

A  huge  wave  struck  him  as  he  rose  upon  his 
feet,  and  bore  him  down  to  the  lee  side  of  the  vessel ; 
but  he  grasped  the  shrouds,  and  saved  himself  from 
being  hurled  into  the  abyss  of  waters  that  boiled 
in  the  fury  of  the  storm  on  both  sides  of  the 
stranded  schooner.  He  ran  up  the  shrouds  a  short 
distance,  and  tried  to  penetrate  the  gloom  of  the 
night.  He  could  see  nothing  but  the  white  froth 
on  the  waves,  which  beat  on  all  sides^  There  was 
no  land  to  be  seen  ahead,  as  he  had  expected,  and 
it  was  evident  that  the  Roebuck  had  struck  on  a 
shoal,  at  some  distance  from  any  shore.  - 

It  was  impossible  to  walk  forward  on  the  deck, 
for  the  savage  waves  that  broke  over  the  vessel 
would  have  carried  him  overboard.  The  sight 
suggested  the  manner  in  which  the  men  had  so 
suddenly  disappeared.  They  had  probably  been 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  221 

swept  away  the  moment  the  vessel  struck.  The 
rigging  of  the  schooner  was  all  standing,  and  Noddy 
decided  to  go  forward  to  ascertain  if  there  was  any 
comfortable  position  there  for  Mollie.  He  went  tt 
the  main-mast  head,  and,  by  the  spring-stay,  reached 
the  fore-mast.  Descending  by  the  fore-shrouds,  he 
reached  the  forecastle  of  the  schooner. 

The  bow  had  been  thrown  up  so  high  on  the 
shoal  that  the  sea  did  not  break  over  this  part  of 
the  vessel  with  anything  like  the  force  it  did  farther 
aft.  The  hatch  was  on  the  fore-scuttle,  and  it  was 
possible  that  the  men  had  taken  refuge  in  the  fore 
castle.  Removing  the  hatch,  he  called  the  names  of 
Mr.  Lincoln  and  others ;  but  there  was  no  response. 
He  then  went  down,  and  attempted  to  make  his 
way  aft  through  the  hold.  This  was  impossible, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  return  by  the  way  he  had 
come. 

"  My  poor  father !  "  sighed  Mollie,  as  Noddy 
reached  the  ladder  to  which  she  was  clinging  ;  "I 
shall  never  see  you  again." 

"  Come,  Mollie.     I  want  you  to  go  with  me  now," 
s»*     he,  taking  her  by  the  arm. 
19* 


222  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Did  you  find  any  of  the    crew  ? "  she  asked. 

"Not  a  single  one." 

"  Poor  men  !  " 

"  I  am  afraid  they  are  all  drowned  ;  but  we  may 
be  saved  if  we  only  work.  If  we  stay  here  we 
shall  certainly  be  lost.  If  the  sea  should  carry  off 
the  companion-hatch,  we  should  be  drowned  out  in 
spite  of  all  we  could  do." 

"  What  can  we  do  ?  " 

"  We  must  go  forward." 

"  That  is  impossible  for  me,  Noddy." 

"  No,  it  isn't." 

"  Save  yourself,  Noddy,  if  you  can.  I  do  not  feel 
like  doing  anything." 

"  I  shall  stay  by  you,  and  if  you  are  lost  I  shall 
be  lost  with  you." 

"  Then  I  will  go  with  you,  and  do  anything  you 
say,"  said  she,  earnestly ;  for  when  the  life  of  another 
was  at  stake,  she  was  willing  to  put  forth  any 
exertion. 

"  The  vessel  holds  together  first-rate,  and  if  we 
stick  by  her  till  morning,  we  may  find  some  way 
to  save  ourselves.  Don't  give  it  up,  Mollie.  Work 
and  win ;  that's  my  motto,  you  know." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  223 

"  I  am  ready  to  work  with  you,  Noddy,  whether 
you  win  or  not.'' 

The  persevering  boy  got  a  rope,  which  he  made 
fast  around  the  little  girl  's  body,  and  watching  his 
time,  at  the  intervals  of  the  breaking  waves,  he 
bore  her  to  the  main  shrouds.  She  went  up  to 
the  mast  head  without  much  difficulty,  though  the 
force  of  the  wind  was  so  great  that  Noddy  had 
to  hold  on  to  her,  to  keep  her  from  being  blown 
from  the  ropes. 

At  this  point  he  made  a  sling  for  her  on  the 
spring-stay,  in  which  she  sat  as  a  child  does  in  a 
swing.  It  was  adjusted  to  the  big  rope  so  that 
it  would  slip  along,  and  permit  her  to  hold  on  to 
the  stay  with  her  hands.  The  vessel  seemed  to 
be  so  wedged  in  the  rocks  or  sand,  on  which  she 
had  struck,  that  she  did  not  roll,  and  the  only 
obstacle  to  a  safe  passage  from  one  mast  to  the 
other,  was  the  violence  of  the  gale.  By  Noddy's 
careful  and  skilful  management,  the  transit  was 
made  in  safety  through  the  most  imminent  peril. 
The  descent  to  the  deck,  forward,  was  more  easily 
accomplished,  and  the  heroic  youth  soon  had  the 


224  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

pleasure    of   seeing  his    gentle    charge   safe,   for   the 
present,  in  the  forecastle. 

He  had  worked  and  won,  so  far.  He  was  satis 
fied  with  the  past,  and  hopeful  of  the  future. 
Having  conducted  Mollie  to  a  safe  place,  he  turned 
his  attention  once  more  to  the  situation  of  the 
vessel.  Looking  over  the  bow,  he  discovered  the 
dark,  ragged  rocks,  rising  a  few  feet  above  the 
Avater,  on  which  she  had  struck,  but  he  could  not 
see  any  land. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CKUISE.  225 


CHAPTER     XVII. 

AFTER     THE     STOBM. 

THE  Roebuck  had  been  built,  under  the  direction 
of  Captain  McClintock,  for  the  voyage  around 
Cape  Horn.  She  was  a  new  vessel,  and  of  extra 
strength,  and  she  held  together  in  spite  of  the 
hard  thumping  she  received  on  the  rocks.  As  she 
struck,  a  hole  was  knocked  in  her  bottom ;  but 
her  bow  had  been  forced  so  far  up  on  the  rocks 
that  the  water  which  she  made  all  settled  aft. 

With  tender  care  Noddy  had  wrapped  up  his 
frail  companion  in  a  pea  jacket  he  found  in  the 
forecastle,  and  together  they  waited  anxiously  for 
the  morning  light.  The  waves  beat  fiercely  against 
the  side  of  the  vessel,  pounded  on  the  decks  as 
they  rolled  over  the  bulwarks ;  and  the  survivors 
were  in  continual  fear  that  each  moment  would 
witness  the  destruction  of  their  ark  of  safety. 


226  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

Xoddy  had  made  the  best  arrangements  he  could 
for  a  speedy  exit,  in  case  the  worst  should  be 
realized. 

With  the  first  signs  of  daylight  Noddy  was  on 
deck  endeavoring  to  obtain  a  better  knowledge  of 
the  location  of  the  wreck.  It  seemed  to  him  then 
that  the  force  of  the  gale  had  abated,  though  the 
sea  was  hardly  less  savage  than  it  had  been  dur 
ing  the  night.  As  the  day  dawned,  he  discovered 
the  outline  of  some  dark  object,  apparently  half  a 
mile  distant.  He  watched  this  sombre  pile  till 
there  was  light  enough  to  satisfy  him  that  it  was 
an  island. 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Noddy,  —  forgetting,  in  the 
joy  of  this  discovery,  that  death  and  destruction 
had  reigned  on  board  the  Roebuck. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  asked  Mollie,  hardly  moved  by 
the  gladness  of  her  companion. 

"  Land  ho !  "  replied  he,  as  he  descended  the 
ladder  to  the  forecastle. 

"  Where  is  it  ? "  said  she,  languidly,  as  though  she 
did  not  feel  much  interested  in  the  announcement. 

"  Right  over  here,  about  half  a  mile  off." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  227 

"  It  might  as  well  be  a  thousand  miles  off;  for 
«ve  can  never  get  there." 

"  O,  yes,  we  can.  We  have  the  boat  on  deck. 
I'm  afraid  you  are  discouraged,  Mollie." 

"  I  can't  help  thinking  of  poor  father,"  said  she, 
bursting  into  tears  again. 

Noddy  comforted  her  as  well  as  he  could.  He 
told  her  she  ought  not  to  repine  at  the  will  of 
God,  who  had  saved  her,  though  he  had  permitted 
her  father  to  be  lost ;  that  she  ought  to  be  grateful 
for  her  own  preservation ;  and,  what  seemed  to  be 
the  strongest  argument  to  him,  that  weeping  and 
"  taking  on"  would  do  no  good.  He  was  but  a 
poor  comforter,  and  only  repeated  what  he  had 
often  heard  her  say  in  the  dark  hours  of  their 
former  tribulation.  Her  father  was  dead,  and  she 
could  not  help  weeping.  Whatever  were  his  faults, 
and  however  great  had  been  the  error  which  had 
brought  her  to  the  present  extremity,  he  was  her 
father.  In  his  sober  days  he  had  loved  her  ten 
derly  and  devotedly ;  and  it  seemed  like  sacrilege 
to  her  to  dry  the  tears  which  so  readily  and  so 
freely  flowed.  They  were  the  natural  tribute  of 
affection  from  a  child  to  a  lost  parent. 


228  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

Noddy  did  not  dare  to  say  all  he  believed,  for 
he  was  convinced  that  the  death  of  the  captain 
was  a  blessing  to  himself  and  to  his  daughter. 
He  was  so  besotted  by  the  demon  that  life  could 
henceforth  be  only  a  misery  to  him,  and  a  stum 
bling-block  to  her.  It  required  no  great  faith  for 
him  to  believe,  in  the  present  instance,  that  the 
good  Father  doeth  all  things  well. 

The  daylight  came,  and  with  it  the  hope  of 
brighter  hours.  The  clouds  were  breaking  away, 
and  the  winds  subsided  almost  as  suddenly  as  they 
had  risen.  Still  the  waves  broke  fiercely  over  the 
wreck,  and  it  was  impossible  to  take  any  steps 
towards  reaching  the  land,  whose  green  hills  and 
bright  valleys  gladdened  the  heart  of  the  storm- 
tossed  sailor-boy.  With  an  axe  which  he  found  in 
the  forecastle,  he  knocked  away  a  couple  of  the 
planks  of  the  bulkhead  which  divided  the  seamen's 
quarters  from  the  hold.  He  passed  through,  by 
moving  a  portion  of  the  miscellaneous  cargo,  to 
the  cabin,  where  he  obtained  some  water,  some 
ship  bread,  and  boiled  beef. 

Poor  Mollie  had  no  appetite ;    but   to   please  her 


NODDY    NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  229 

anxious  friend,  she  ate  half  a  biscuit.  They  passed 
the  forenoon  in  the  forecastle,  talking  of  the  past 
and  the  future  ;  but  the  thoughts  of  the  bereaved 
daughter  continually  reverted  to  her  father.  She 
talked  of  him,  of  what  he  had  been  to  her,  and 
of  the  bright  hopes  which  she  had  cherished  of 
the  future.  She  was  positive  she  should  never  be 
happy  again.  After  much  persuasion,  Noddy  in 
duced  her  to  lie  down  in  one  of  the  bunks,  and 
being  thoroughly  exhausted  by  anxiety  and  the  loss 
of  rest,  she  went  to  sleep,  which  gave  her  patient 
friend  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction. 

She  slept,  and  Noddy  went  on  deck  again.  The 
waves  had  now  subsided,  so  that  he  rould  go  aft. 
He  found  that  the  jolly-boat  was  gon^  from  the 
stern  davits.  At  first  he  supposed  it  had  been 
washed  away  by  the  heavy  sea ;  but  a  further 
examination  convinced  him  that  it  had  b^en  low 
ered  by  the  men.  It  was  possible,  if  no*,  probable, 
the  crew  had  taken  to  the  boat,  and  he  might  find 
them  on  the  island,  or  a  portion  of  them,  for  it 
was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  the  whole  crew 
had  escaped. 

20 


230  WORK    AND    WIN,     OR 

From  the  deck  he  went  below.  He  had  an 
ticipated  that  the  fall  of  the  tide  would  enable 
him  to  enter  the  state-room  of  the  captain ;  but 
there  was  no  perceptible  change  in  the  height  of 
the  water.  In  this  locality  the  whole  range  of  the 
tide  was  not  more  than  a  foot.  There  were  many 
things  which  might  be  of  great  value  to  Mollie,  if 
they  ever  escaped  from  this  region,  and  he  was 
anxious  to  save  them  for  her  use.  The  captain 
had  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in  gold  and 
silver.  The  cabin-boy,  knowing  where  it  was,  set 
himself  at  work  to  obtain  it.  He  was  obliged  to 
dive  several  times  before  he  succeeded  ;  but  at 
last  he  brought  it  up,  and  deposited  it  in  the 
safest  place  he  could  find. 

Other  articles  of  value  were  saved  in  the  same 
manner,  including  the  captain's  chronometer  and 
sextant,  the  sad  neglect  of  which  had  caused  the 
terrible  disaster.  Towards  night  a  change  in  the 
wind  "knocked  down"  the  sea,  and  the  waves  no 
longer  dashed  against  the  shattered  vessel.  The 
galley  had  been  washed  away ;  but  the  boat  on 
deck,  though  thrown  from  the  blocks,  was  still 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  231 

uninjurod ;  and  Noddy  was  sorely  perplexed  to  find 
a  means  of  getting  it  overboard.  It  was  too  late, 
and  he  was  too  tired  to  accomplish  anything  that 
night. 

Mollie  was  awake  when  he  went  to  the  fore 
castle  again :  and  rest  and  refreshment  had  made 
her  more  cheerful  and  more  hopeful.  She  spoke 
with  greater  interest  of  the  future,  and  dwelt  less 
mournfully  on  the  sad  event  which  hud  made  her 
an  orphan.  Noddy  told  her  his  plans  for  the  mor 
row  ;  that  he  intended  to  launch  the  long-boat, 
and  visit  the  island  the  next  day  ;  that  he  would 
build  a  house  for  her ;  and  that  they  would  be 
happy  there  till  some  passing  whaler  picked  them 
up.  The  tired  boy,  now  secure  of  life,  went 
to  sleep.  His  fair  companion  wept  again,  as  she 
thought  of  the  pleasant  days  when  her  father  had 
been  a  joy  to  every  hour  of  her  existence ;  but 
she,  too,  went  to  sleep,  with  none  to  watch  over 
her  but  the  good  Father  who  had  saved  her  in  all 
the  perils  through  which  she  had  passed. 

The  sun  rose  clear  and  bright  the  next  morning, 
and  Noddy  went  on  deck  to  prepare  their  simple 


232  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

breakfast.  He  bad  constructed  a  fireplace  of  ii 
plates,  and  be  boiled  some  water  to  make  tea. 
Mollie  soon  joined  him  ;  and  sad  as  sbe  still  was, 
sbe  insisted  that  the  cooking  was  her  duty.  She 
performed  it,  while  Noddy  employed  himself  in  de 
vising  some  plan  by  which,  with  his  feeble  powers, 
he  could  hoist  the  heavy  boat  into  the  water. 
The  bulwarks  had  been  partially  stove  on  one 
side,  and  he  cleared  away  the  wreck  till  there  was 
nothing  to  obstruct  the  passage  of  the  boat  over 
the  side. 

They  sat  down  on  the  deck  to  eat  their  break 
fast  ;  and  during  the  meal  Noddy  was  very  quiet 
and  thoughtful.  Occasionally  he  cast  his  eyes  up 
at  the  rigging  over  their  heads.  Mollie  could  not 
help  looking  at  him.  She  had  a  great  admiration 
for  him ;  he  had  been  so  kind  to  her,  and  so 
brave  and  cheerful  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties 
which  the  awful  catastrophe  imposed  upon  him. 
Besides,  he  was  her  only  friend  —  her  only  hope 
now. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about,  Noddy?"  asked 
she,  perplexed  by  his  unusually  meditative  mood. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  233 

"  I  was  thinking  how  I  should  get  the  boat  into 
the  water." 

"  You  can't  get  it  into  the  water.  What  can  a 
small  boy  like  you  do  with  a  great  boat  like 
that  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  it  somehow." 

"  I'm  afraid  not." 

"  Don't  give  it  up,  Mollic  ;  our  salvation  de 
pends  on  that  boat.  I  found  out  something  more, 
when  I  went  aloft  this  morning." 

"  What  ? " 

"  There  is  another  island  off  here  to  the  north 
ward,  just  as  far  as  you  can  see.  We  may  wish 
to  go  there,  and  the  boat  would  be  wanted  then." 

**  Noddy,  perhaps  there  are  savages  on  those 
islands,  who  will  kill  us  if  we  go  on  shore." 

"  Two  can  play  at  that  game,"  replied  Noddy, 
in  his  confident  tone. 

"  What  could  a  boy  like  you  do  against  a  mob 
of  Indians  ?  " 

•'  There  are  two  or  three  pistols  in  the  cabin, 
and  I  think  I  know  how  to  use  them ;  at  any  rate 
I  shall  not  be  butchered,  nor  let  you  be,  without 
20* 


234  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

showing  them  what  I  am  made  of,"  answered 
Noddy,  as  he  rose  from  the  planks,  and  turned  his 
attention  once  more  to  the  moving  of  the  boat. 

"You  wouldn't  shoot  them  —  would  you?" 

"  Not  if  I  could  help  it.  I  shouldn't  want  to 
shoot  them ;  and  I  won't  do  it,  if  they  behave 
themselves.  But  I  must  go  to  work  on  the  boat 
now." 

"  Let  me  help  you,  Noddy.  I  am  real  strong, 
and  I  can  do  a  great  deal." 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  you  can  help  me,  Mollie, 
for  I  may  need  a  little  assistance." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  do  this  job." 

"  I  will  show  you  in  a  moment,"  replied  Noddy, 
as  he  ran  up  the  main  shrouds. 

He  carried  a  small  hatchet  in  his  belt,  with 
which  he  detached  the  starboard  fore-brace  from 
the  mast.  This  was  a  rope,  the  end  of  which  was 
tied  to  the  main-mast,  and  extended  through  a 
single  sheaf-block  at  the  starboard  fore-yard-arm. 
After  passing  through  this  block,  the  brace  returned 
to  the  main-mast,  passed  through  another  block, 
and  led  down  upon  the  deck.  There  was  another 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  235 

rope  of  the  same  kind  on  the  port  side  of  the 
vessel.  They  were  used  to  swing  round  the  yard, 
in  order  to  place  the  sail  so  that  it  would  draw  in 
the  wind. 

When  Noddy  cut  it  loose,  the  brace  dropped  to 
the  deck.  It  was  now  simply  a  rope  passing 
through  a  single  block  at  the  end  of  the  yard. 
The  little  engineer  made  fast  one  end  of  the 
brace  to  the  ring  in  the  bow  of  the  boat.  He 
then  unhooked  the  peak  halliards  of  the  fore-sail, 
and  attached  them  to  the  ring  in  the  stern  of  the 
boat.  Now,  if  he  had  had  the  strength,  he  would 
have  pulled  on  the  yard-arm  rope  till  he  dragged 
the  bow  out  over  the  water ;  the  stern  line  being 
intended  merely  to  steady  the  boat,  if  necessary, 
and  keep  it  from  jamming  against  the  mast. 
When  he  had  drawn  the  bo\v  out  as  far  as  he 
could  with  the  brace,  he  meant  to  attach  the  same 
rope  to  the  stern,  and  complete  the  job. 

"  That's  all  very  pretty,"  said  Mollie,  who  had 
caref  illy  noticed  all  her  companion's  proceedings ; 
"  but  you  and  I  can't  hoist  the  boat  up  with  that 
rigging." 


236  WORK   AND   wix,   o& 

"  I  know  that,  Mollie,"  replied  Noddy,  wiping 
the  perspiration  from  his  brow.  "  I  haven't  done 
yet." 

"  I  am  afraid   you  won't  make  out,  Noddy." 

"  Yes,  I  shall.  Work  and  win ;  that's  the 
idea." 

"  You  are  working  very  hard,  and  I  hope  you 
will  win." 

"  Did  you  know  I  had  made  an  improvement 
on  Miss  Bertha's  maxim  ? " 

"  Indeed  !     What  ?  " 

"  He  that  works  shall  win." 

"  That's  very  encouraging ;  but  it  isn't  always 
true." 

"  It  is  when  you  work  in  the  right  way,'' 
answered  Noddy,  as  he  took  the  end  of  the  yard- 
arm  rope,  and,  after  passing  it  through  a  snatch- 
block,  began  to  wind  it  around  the  barrel  of  the 
small  capstan  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Perhaps    you    haven't    go*    the    right    way." 

"  If  I  haven't  I  shall  try  again,  and  keep  try 
ing  till  I  do  get  it,"  replied  Noddy,  as  he  handed 
Mollie  the  end  of  the  rope  which  he  had  wound 


NODDY     NEWMAN     OX     A     CRUISE.  237 

four  times  round  the  capstan.  "  Do  you  think  you 
can  hold  this  rope  and  take  in  the  slack : '' 

"I  am  afraid  there  AY  ill  not  be  any  to  take  in ; 
but  I  can  hold  it,  if  there  is,"  said  she,  satirically, 
but  without  even  a  smile. 

Noddy  inserted  one  of  the  capstan  bars,  and  at 
tempted  to  "  walk  round ; "  but  his  feeble  powers 
were  not  sufficient  to  move  the  boat  a  single  inch. 
He  tightened  up  the  rope,  and  that  was  all  he 
could  accomplish. 

"  I  was  afraid  you  could  not  stir  it,"  said 
Mollie  ;  but  her  tones  were  full  of  sympathy  for 
her  companion  in  his  disappointment. 

He  struggled  in  vain  for  a  time  ;  but  it  required 
a  little  more  engineering  to  make  the  machinery 
move.  Taking  a  "  gun-tackle  purchase,"  or  "  tackle 
and  fall,"  as  it  is  called  on  shore,  he  attached  one 
hook  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  capstan  bar,  and 
the  other  to  the  rail.  This  added  power  accom 
plished  the  work ;  and  he  made  the  capstan  re 
volve  with  ease,  though  the  business  went  on  very 
slowly.  He  was  obliged  to  shift  back  the  bar 
four  times  for  every  revolution  of  the  barrel.  But 


238  WORK     AND     WIN,     OH 

the  boat  moved  forward,  and  that  was  success. 
He  persevered,  and  skill  and  labor  finally  accom 
plished  the  difficult  task.  The  boat  floated  in  the 
water  alongside  the  wreck.  He  had  worked ;  he 
had  won. 


NODDY     NEWMAN      ON     A     CRUISE.  239 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE     BEAUTIFUL     ISLAND. 

"  THERE,  Mollic,  what  do  you  think  now  / " 
exclaimed  the  youthful  engineer,  as  he  made  fast 
the  painter  of  the  boat  to  a  ring  in  the  deck  of 
the  schooner. 

"  You  have  worked  very  hard,  Noddy,  but  you 
have  succeeded.  You  must  be  very  tired." 

"  I  am  tired,  for  I  have  done  a  hard  day's  work." 

"  You  ought  to  rest  now." 

u  I  think  I  will.  We  are  in  no  hurry,  for  we 
are  very  comfortable  here,  and  storms  don't  come 
very  often." 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  work  of 
getting  out  the  boat  was  finished.  Noddy  had 
labored  very  hard,  and  he  was  perfectly  willing  to 
rest  during  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Mollic  made 
gome  tea,  and  they  had  supper  at  an  early  hour. 


240  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

It  was  a  remarkably  pleasant  day,  and  the  air  was 
as  soft  and  balmy  as  a  poet's  dream.  Both  the 
young  workers  were  very  much  fatigued,  and  they 
sat  upon  the  deck  till  dark. 

"  Where  is  my  father  now  ?  '  asked  Mollie,  as 
she  cast  a  nervous  glance  towards  the  beautiful 
island  which  they  hoped  to  reach  on  the  follow 
ing  day. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  repeated  Noddy,  surprised  at 
the  question,  and  not  knowing  what  she  meant. 

"  I  mean  his  remains." 

"  In  his  state-room,"  answered  Noddy,  very  reluc 
tant  to  have  the  subject  considered. 

'*  Will  you  do  one  thing  more  for  me,  Noddy  ? " 
demanded  she,  earnestly  and  impressively. 

"  Certainly,  I  will,  Mollie." 

"  It  shall  be  the  last  thing  I  will  ask  you  to  do 
for  me." 

"  Don't  say  that,  for  I've  always  been  ready  to 
do  everything  you  wished  me  to  do." 

"  I  know  you  have,  Noddy ;  and  you  work  so 
hard  that  I  don't  feel  like  asking  you  to  do  any 
extra  labor." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  241 

"  I  will  do  anything  you  wish,  Mollie.  You 
needn't  be  afraid  to  ask  me,  either.  If  you  knew 
how  much  pleasure  it  gives  me  to  work  for  you, 
I'm  sure  you  would  keep  me  busy  all  the  time." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  wear  you  out,  and  you  may 
think  this  is  useless  work." 

"  I'm  sure  I  shall  not,   if    you  want  it  done." 

'*  If  you  knew  how  sad  it  makes  me  feel  to 
think  of  my  poor  father  lying  in  the  water  there, 
you  would  understand  me,"  added  she,  bursting 
into  tears. 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Mollie,  and  it  shall  be 
done  the  first  thing  to-morrow." 

"  Thank  you,  Noddy.  You  are  so  good  and  so 
kind !  I  hope  I  shall  sec  Miss  Bertha,  some  time, 
and  tell  her  what  you  have  done  for  me,"  con 
tinued  she,  wiping  away  her  tears. 

They  retired  to  the  forecastle  soon  after  dark ;  and 
when  Mollie  had  said  her  simple  prayer  for  both 
of  them,  they  lay  down  in  the  bunks,  and  were 
soon  asleep. 

Noddy's  first  work  the  next  morning  was  to  rig 
a  mast  and  sail  for  the  long-boat.  In  this  labor 
21 


242  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

he  was  assisted  by  Mollie,  who  sewed  diligently  on  th& 
sail  all  the  forenoon.  While  she  was  thus  engaged, 
Noddy,  without  telling  her  what  he  was  going  to 
do,  went  into  the  cabin,  carrying  a  boat-hook,  and, 
with  a  feeling  of  awe  amounting  almost  to  super 
stitious  terror,  proceeded  to  fish  up  the  body  of 
Captain  McClintock.  He  knew  just  where  it  lay, 
and  had  no  difficulty  in  accomplishing  the  task. 
He  dragged  the  remains  out  into  the  cabin,  and 
floated  the  corpse  in  the  water  to  the  foot  of  the 
ladder.  It  was  an  awful  duty  for  him  to  perform ; 
and  when  he  saw  the  ghastly,  bloated  face,  he  was 
disposed  to  flee  in  terror  from  the  spot. 

Noddy  was  strong  for  his  years,  or  he  could  not 
have  placed  the  body  on  the  locker,  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  water.  He  prepared  the  remains  for 
burial  precisely  as  those  of  Mr.  Watts  had  been. 
The  most  difficult  part  of  the  task  was  yet  to  be 
performed  —  to  get  the  corpse  on  deck,  and  lower 
it  into  the  boat.  He  procured  a  long  box  in  the 
hold,  from  which  he  removed  the  merchandise, 
and  found  that  it  would  answer  the  purpose  of 
a  coffin.  By  much  hard  lifting,  and  by  resorting 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  243 

to  various  expedients,  he  placed  the  remains  in  the 
box,  and  nailed  down  the  lid.  He  felt  easier  now, 
for  the  face  of  the  corpse  no  longer  glared  at  him. 

When  he  had  bent  on  the  sail,  and  shipped  the 
rudder,  he  contrived  to  set  Mollie  at  work  in  the 
forecastle,  where  she  could  not  see  what  he  was 
doing ;  for  he  thought  his  work  must  be  revolt 
ing  to  her  feelings,  especially  as  it  would  be  very 
clumsily  performed.  Having  put  a  sling  on  the 
box,  he  rigged  a  purchase,  and  hoisted  it  out  of  the 
cabin.  Then,  with  suitable  rigging,  he  lowered  it 
into  the  boat,  placing  it  across  the  thwarts,  amid 
ships. 

"  Come,  Mollie,"  said  he,  in  a  gentle,  subdued 
tone,  at  the  fore-scuttle. 

"  What,  Noddy  ? "  asked  she,  impressed  by  his 
voice,  and  by  his  manner,  as  she  came  up  from 
below. 

"  We  will  go  on  shore  now." 

"  To-day  : " 

"  Yes ;  but  we  will  return.  The  boat  is  ready, 
and  I  have  done  what  you  asked  me  to  do." 

"  What  ? " 


244  WORK     AND     WIN,     OH 

"  Your  father." 

She  was  awed  by  his  manner,  and  did  not  readily 
understand  what  he  meant.  He  pointed  to  the  long 
box  in  the  boat,  and  she  comprehended  the  loving 
labor  he  had  performed.  She  did  not  inquire  how 
he  had  accomplished  the  task,  and  did  not  think  of 
the  difficulties  which  attended  it.  Noddy  did  not 
allude  to  them. 

"  I  am  ready,  Noddy  ;  but  can  you  get  me  the 
prayer-book?"  said  she,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears, 
as  she  prepared  to  perform  the  pious  duty  which  the 
exigencies  of  the  occasion  required  of  her. 

The  book  was  fortunately  on  a  shelf  to  which  the 
water  had  not  risen,  and  he  brought  it  up  and  gave 
it  to  her.  He  had  before  placed  a  pick  and  shovel, 
an  axe,  a  couple  of  boards  and  some  cords  in  the 
boat.  He  helped  her  to  a  seat  in  the  stern-sheets, 
and  shoved  off.  There  was  hardly  a  breath  of  wind, 
and  Noddy  sculled  the  boat  towards  an  opening  in 
the  reef,  which  was  of  coral,  and  surrounded  the 
island.  The  afflicted  daughter  gazed,  in  silent  grief 
at  the  box,  and  did  not  speak  a  word  till  the  boat 
entered  a  little  inlet,  which  Noddy  had  chosen  as  a 
landing-place. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  245 

He  stepped  on  shore,  and  secured  the  boat  to  a 
bush  which  grew  on  the  bank.  Mollic  followed  him 
in  silence,  and  selected  a  place  for  the  grave.  It 
was  at  the  foot  of  a  cocoa  palm.  The  spot  was  as 
beautiful  as  the  heart  could  desire  for  such  a  holy 
purpose ;  and  Noddy  commenced  his  work.  The 
soil  was  light  and  loose,  and  after  much  severe 
labor,  he  made  a  grave  about  three  feet  deep.  It 
would  be  impossible  for  him  to  lower  the  box  into 
the  grave ;  and,  from  one  end,  he  dug  out  an  in 
clined  plane,  down  which  he  could  roll  the  corpse 
to  its  final  resting-place. 

It  required  all  his  skill,  strength,  and  ingenuity 
to  disembark  the  box ;  but  this  was  finally  accom 
plished,  with  such  assistance  as  the  weeping  daughter 
could  render.  The  rude  coffin  was  then  moved  on 
rollers  to  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  deposited  in 
the  grave.  Mollie  opened  the  book  to  the  funeral 
prayer,  and  handed  it  to  her  companion.  Severe 
as  the  labor  he  had  performed  had  been,  he  re 
garded  this  as  far  more  trying.  He  could  not 
refuse,  when  he  saw  the  poor  girl,  weeping  as 
though  her  heart  would  break,  kneel  down  at  the 
21* 


246  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

head  of  the  grave.  Fortunately  he  had  read  this 
prayer  many  times  since  it  had  been  used  at  the 
obsequies  of  Mr.  Watts,  and  it  was  familiar  to  him. 
Awed  and  impressed  by  the  solemn  task  imposed 
upon  him,  he  read  the  prayer  in  trembling,  husky 
tones.  But  he  was  more  earnest  and  sincere  than 
nany  M'ho  read  the  same  service  in  Christian  lands, 
ft  touched  his  own  heart,  and  again  the  good 
Father  seemed  to  be  very  near  to  him. 

The  reading  was  finished,  and  the  loving  girl, 
not  content  with  what  had  been  done,  gathered 
wild  flowers,  rich  and  luxuriant  in  that  sunny 
clime,  and  showered  them,  as  a  tribute  of  affec 
tion,  on  the  rough  coffin.  Noddy  filled  up  the 
trench  first,  and  then,  amid  the  sobs  of  the  poor 
child,  covered  all  that  remained  of  her  father. 
With  what  art  he  possessed  he  arranged  the  green 
sods,  as  he  had  seen  them  in  the  graveyard  at 
Whitestone.  Mollie  covered  the  spot  with  flowers, 
And  then  seemed  loath  to  leave  the  grave. 

From  the  beginning,  Noddy  had  trembled  lest 
ehe  should  ask  to  look  once  more  on  the  face  of 
the  departed.  He  had  been  horrified  at  the  sight 


NODDY     NEWMAN      ON     A     CEUISE.  247 

himself,  and  lie  knew  that  the  distorted  visage 
would  haunt  her  dreams  if  she  was  permitted  to 
gaze  upon  it ;  but  she  did  not  ask  to  take  that 
lust  look.  Though  she  said  nothing  about  it,  she 
seemed  to  feel,  instinctively,  that  the  face  was  not 
that  she  had  loved,  which  had  smiled  upon  her, 
and  which  was  still  present  in  her  remembrance. 

"  Come,  Mollie,  it  is  almost  dark,  and  we  must 
go  now,"  said  he,  tenderly,  when  he  had  waited 
some  time  for  her. 

"  I  am  ready,  Noddy ;  and  you  cannot  tell  how 
much  better  I  feel  now  that  my  poor  father  sleeps 
in  a  grave  on  the  land  —  on  the  beautiful  island!" 
replied  she,  as  she  followed  him  to  the  boat.  "  You 
have  been  very  kind  to  do  what  you  have.  It  has 
cost  you  a  whole  day's  labor." 

"  It  is  the  best  day's  work  I  have  done,  Mollie, 
if  it  makes  you  feel  better,"  replied  Noddy,  as  he 
hoisted  the  sail. 

They  did  not  reach  the  wreck  till  it  was  quite 
dark,  for  the  wind  was  light.  Mollie  was  more 
cheerful  than  she  had  been  since  the  vessel  struck. 
She  had  performed  a  religious  duty,  which  was  ver) 


248  WORK     AND     WIN,     OE 

consoling  to  her  feelings  in  her  affliction ;  and 
Noddy  hoped  that  even  her  sadness  would  weai 
away  amid  the  active  employments  which  would  be 
required  of  her. 

In  the  morning,  Noddy  loaded  the  boat  with 
provisions,  and  such  useful  articles  as  they  would 
need  most  on  the  island,  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
forenoon  they  again  sailed  for  the  land.  They 
entered  the  little  inlet,  and  moored  the  boat  in  a 
convenient  place,  for  it  was  decided  that  they 
should  explore  the  island  before  the  goods  were 
landed. 

"  We  are  real  Robinson  Crusoes  now,  Noddy," 
said  Mollie,  as  they  stepped  on  shore. 

"Who's  he?" 

She  told  him  who  Crusoe  was,  and  some  of  the 
main  features  of  his  residence  on  the  lonely  island. 
She  was  surprised  to  learn  that  he  had  never  read 
the  story. 

"  But  we  have  everything  we  can  possibly  need, 
while  Crusoe  had  scarcely  anything.  We  have 
provisions  enough  in  the  vessel  to  last  us  a  year," 
added  she. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  249 

"  We  shall  do  very  well.  I  don't  think  we  shall 
have  to  stay  here  long.  There  are  whale  ships  in 
all  parts  of  the  South  Seas,  and  if  they  don't  come 
to  us,  we  can  go  to  them,  for  we  have  a  first-rate 
boat." 

They  walked  up  the  hill  which  rose  from  the  little 
plain  by  the  sea-side,  where  they  found  a  small  table 
land.  But  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  explore 
the  island,  for  it  was  hardly  a  mile  in  diameter. 
Portions  of  it  were  covered  with  trees,  whose  shape 
and  foliage  were  new  and  strange  to  the  visitors. 
No  inhabitants  dwelt  in  this  little  paradise ;  but 
the  reason  was  soon  apparent  to  Noddy  ;  for,  when 
Mollie  was  thirsty,  their  search  for  water  was  una 
vailing.  There  was  none  on  the  island. 

This  was  an  appalling  discovery,  and  Noddy  began 
to  consider  the  situation  of  the  water  casks  on 
board  the  wreck.  They  returned  to  the  boat,  and 
having  selected  a  suitable  spot,  the  goods  were 
landed,  and  carefully  secured  under  a  sail-cloth 
brought  off  for  the  purpose.  For  two  weeks  Noddy 
labored  diligently  in  bringing  off  the  most  serviceable 
goods  from  the  wreck.  He  had  constructed  a  ten) 


250  WOBK     AXD     AVIX,     OR 

on  shore,  and  they  made  their  home  on  the  island. 
For  the  present  there  was  nothing  but  hard  work, 
for  a  storm  might  come  and  break  up  the  schooner. 

Noddy  rigged  a  series  of  pulleys,  which  enabled 
him  to  handle  the  water  casks  with  ease.  Other 
heavy  articles  were  managed  in  the  same  way. 
Farther  up  the  inlet  than  his  first  landing-place  he 
found  a  tree  near  the  shore,  to  which  he  attached 
his  ropes  and  blocks,  to  hoist  the  barrels  out  of 
the  boat.  We  are  sorry  that  our  space  does  not 
permit  a  minute  description  of  these  contrivances, 
for  many  of  them  were  very  ingenious.  The  labor 
was  hard,  and  the  progress  often  very  slow ;  but 
Noddy  enjoyed  the  fruit  of  his  expedients,  and  was 
happy  in  each  new  triumph  he  achieved.  He  had 
found  a  joy  in  work  which  did  not  exist  in  play. 

"  Now,  Mollie,  we  must  build  a  house,"  said  he, 
when  he  had  brought  off  sufficient  supplies  from 
Mie  wreck. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  make  a  house,  Noddy  ? " 

"  I  know  I  can." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  you  can.  I  think  you  can  do 
anything  you  try  to  do." 


NODDY     NEW  MAX      OX     A     CRUISE.  251 

"  I  have  brought  off  all  the  boards  I  could  get 
out  of  the  wreck,  and  I  am  sure  I  can  build  a  very 
nice  house." 

The  work  was  immediately  commenced.  Near 
the  spot  selected  for  the  mansion  of  the  exiles 
there  was  a  grove  of  small  trees.  The  wood  was 
light  and  soft,  and  Noddy  found  that  he  could  foil 
the  trees  with  his  sharp  hatchet  quickly  and  easily. 
Four  posts,  with  a  crotch  in  the  top  of  each,  were 
set  in  the  ground,  forming  the  corners  of  the  house. 
The  frame  was  secured  with  nails  and  with  ropes. 
The  sides  and  the  roof  were  then  covered  with  the 
hibiscus  from  the  grove.  Noddy  worked  like  a  hero 
at  his  task,  and  Mollie  watched  him  with  the  most 
intense  interest ;  for  he  would  not  permit  her  to 
perform  any  of  the  hard  labor. 

The  frame  was  up,  and  covered,  but  the  house 
was  like  a  sieve.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
master  builder  to  cover  the  roof  with  tough  sods, 
and  plaster  up  the  crevices  in  the  sides  with  mud. 
But  Mollie  thought  the  fore-topsail  of  the  schooner 
would  be  better  than  sods  and  mud,  though  it  was 
not  half  so  romantic.  They  had  whole  casks  of 


252  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

nails,  small  and  large,  and  the  sail  was  finally  chosen, 
and  securely  nailed  upon  the  roof  and  sides.  A  floor 
was  made  of  the  boards,  and  the  house  banked  up 
so  as  to  turn  the  water  away  from  it  when  it 
rained.  Two  rooms,  one  for  each  of  the  exiles, 
were  partitioned  off  with  sail-cloth.  A  bunk  was 
made  in.  each,  which  was  supplied  with  a  berth- 
sack  and  bed-clothes  from  the  schooner.  Besides 
these  two  rooms,  there  was  one  apartment  for  gen 
eral  purposes. 

This   important  work   occupied   three    weeks ;  but 
it  was  perfectly  luxurious  when  completed. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  253 


CHAPTER     XIX. 

THE     VISITORS. 

THE  house  was  finished,  and  the  satisfaction 
which  it  afforded  to  the  young  exiles  cannot  be 
expressed  in  words.  Noddy  had  exercised  his  in 
genuity  in  the  construction  of  a  fireplace,  a  chim 
ney,  and  a  table.  The  stern-lights  of  the  Roebuck 
furnished  the  windows  of  the  principal  apartment ; 
while  single  panes  of  glass,  obtained  from  the 
assorted  cargo  of  the  vessel,  admitted  the  light 
to  the  sleeping-rooms.  They  had  knives,  forks, 
spoons,  dishes,  and  cooking  utensils  in  abundance. 
Everything  they  wanted  was  at  hand ;  and  in  this 
respect  they  differed  from  all  the  Crusoes  of  an 
cient  and  modern  times. 

The  miscellaneous  cargo  of  the  schooner  supplied 
the  hcU:se  with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the 
luxurie  of  civilization ;  and  if  Noddy  had  been 
22 


254  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

familiar  with  the  refinements  of  social  life,  he 
would  probably  have  added  the  "  modern  improve 
ments"  to  the  mansion.  If  the  house  had  been 
an  elegant  residence  on  Fifth  Avenue  or  Black- 
stone  Square,  the  occupants  could  not  have  en 
joyed  it  more.  Day  after  day  Noddy  added  some 
new  feature  of  comfort,  until  he  was  as  proud  of 
the  dwelling  as  though  he  had  been  the  architect 
of  St.  Peter's. 

The  work  was  clone,  and  they  had  nothing  to 
do  but  sit  down  under  their  "  own  vine  and  fig- 
tree,"  and  enjoy  themselves.  They  had  provisions 
and  water  enough  to  last  them  six  months.  But 
Noddy  had  discovered  that  idleness  was  the  sum 
of  all  miseries ;  and  after  he  had  thoroughly  ex 
plored  the  island,  and  amused  himself  for  a  few 
days  among  tho  novelties  of  the  place,  he  realized 
that  work  was  a  positive  luxury.  Even  patient, 
plodding  labor,  without  any  excitement,  was  better 
than  doing  nothing. 

Though  there  had  been  a  storm,  the  Roebuck 
still  held  together ;  and  the  most  profitable  em 
ployment  that  presented  itself  was  bringing  off  the 


NODDY     NEWMAX     OX     A     CRUISE.  255 

rest  of  the  cargo  from  the  wreck  ;  and  everything 
which  it  was  possible  for  him  to  move  was  trans 
ferred  to  the  shore.  He  built  a  storehouse  of 
sail-cloth,  in  which  all  the  merchandise  and  pro 
visions  were  carefully  secured,  though  it  was  no\ 
probable  that  any  considerable  portion  of  it  would 
ever  be  of  any  value  to  the  islanders. 

Noddy  had  built  a  fence  around  the  grave  of 
Captain  McClintock,  and  on  a  smooth  board  had 
cut  the  name  and  age  of  the  deceased.  Every 
day  Mollie  visited  the  spot,  and  placed  fresh  flow 
ers  on  the  green  sod.  The  sharp  pangs  of  her 
great  affliction  had  passed  away,  and  she  was 
cheerful,  and  even  hopeful  of  the  future,  while  she 
fondly  cherished  the  memory  of  her  father. 

The  islands  which  were  just  visible  in  the  dis 
tance  were  a  source  of  interest  and  anxiety  to  the 
sailor-boy  and  his  gentle  companion.  Noddy  had 
carefully  examined  them  through  the  spy-glass  a 
great  many  times ;  and  once  he  had  seen  a  larg* 
canoe,  under  sail,  with  a  ponderous  "  out-rigger 'r 
to  keep  it  from  upsetting ;  but  it  did  not  come 
near  the  home  of  the  exiles.  This  proved  that  the 


256  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

other  islands  were  inhabited,  and  he  was  in  con 
stant  dread  of  a  visit  from  the  savages.  He  put 
all  the  pistols  he  had  found  in  the  cabin  in  readi 
ness  for  use,  and  practised  firing  at  a  mark,  that 
he  might  be  able  to  defend  himself  and  his  fair 
charge  if  occasion  required.  They  did  not  come, 
and  there  were  no  signs  on  the  island  that  they 
ever  visited  it,  and  he  hoped  to  avoid  the  neces 
sity  of  fighting  them. 

There  were  plenty  of  fish  in  the  waters  which 
surrounded  the  island,  and  Noddy  had  no  difficulty 
in  catching  as  many  of  them  as  he  wanted.  There 
were  no  animals  to  be  seen,  except  a  few  sea- 
fowl.  He  killed  one  of  these,  and  roasted  him  for 
dinner  one  day ;  but  the  flesh  was  so  strong  and 
so  fishy  that  salt  pork  and  corned  beef  were  con 
sidered  better. 

A  two  months'  residence  on  the  island  had  ac 
customed  both  the  boy  and  the  girl  to  the  nov 
elties  of  the  situation ;  and  though,  as  might  be 
reasonably  expected,  they  were  anxious  to  return 
to  the  great  world  from  which  they  had  been  ban 
ished,  they  were  tolerably  contented  with  the  life 


THE  MANSION    ON  THE  ISLAND. —Page  251. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON    A     CRUISE.  257 

they  led.  Noddy  was  continually  planning  some 
new  thing  to  add  to  the  comfort  of  their  daily 
life,  and  to  provide  supplies  for  the  future.  As  in 
many  large  cities,  a  supply  of  pure  water  was  a 
question  of  momentous  importance  to  him,  and  he 
early  turned  his  attention  to  the  subject.  He 
made  spouts  of  canvas  for  the  "  mansion "  and  the 
storehouse,  by  which  the  water,  when  it  rained, 
was  conducted  to  barrels  set  in  the  ground,  so  as 
to  keep  it  cool.  This  expedient  promised  a  plenti 
ful  supply,  for  the  rains  were  heavy  and  frequent 
and  the  quality  was  much  better  than  that  of 
the  water  casks. 

When  all  the  necessary  work  had  been  accom 
plished,  and  when  the  time  at  last  hung  heavily 
on  his  hands,  Noddy  began  to  consider  the  practi 
cability  of  a  garden,  to  keep  up  the  supply  of 
peas,  beans,  and  potatoes,  of  which  a  considerable 
quantity  had  been  obtained  from  the  wreck.  Mol- 
lie  was  delighted  with  the  idea  of  a  "  farm,"  as 
she  called  it,  and  the  ground  was  at  once  marked 
off.  Noddy  went  to  work  ;  but  the  labor  of  dig 
ging  up  the  soil,  and  preparing  it  for  the  seed, 
22* 


258  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

was  very  hard.  There  was  no  excitement  about 
this  occupation,  and  the  laborer  "  punished "  him 
self  very  severely  in  performing  it ;  but  work  had 
become  a  principle  with  him,  and  he  persevered 
until  an  incident  occurred  wrhich  suspended  further 
operations  on  the  garden,  and  gave  him  all  the 
excitement  his  nature  craved. 

"  What's  that,  Noddy  ? "  said  Mollie,  one  day, 
when  he  was  industriously  striving  to  overcome  his 
dislike  to  plodding  labor. 

"Where?"  asked  he,  dropping  his  shovel,  for 
the  manner  of  his  companion  betrayed  no  little 
alarm. 

"  On  the  water,"  replied  she,  pointing  in  the 
direction  of  the  islands  which  had  given  them  so 
much  anxiety. 

"It  is  a  native  canoe  loaded  with  savages," 
said  Noddy,  hastening  to  the  house  for  his  spy 
glass  and  pistols. 

He  examined  the  canoe  long  and  attentively. 
It  was  only  four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  looked 
like  quite  a  large  boat. 

"  They  are  coming  here,"  said  Noddy. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  259 

**  O,  what  shall  we  do  ? "  exclaimed  the  timid 
maiden,  recalling  all  she  knew  about  cannibals  and 
fierce  savages  found  on  the  South  Sea  Islands. 

"  Perhaps  they  will  not  come  here,"  added 
Noddy ;  but  it  was  more  to  cheer  up  his  friend, 
than  from  any  hope  he  cherished  of  avoiding 
the  issue. 

"  I  hope  they  will  not.  What  do  you  think 
they  will  do  to  us,  if  they  do  : " 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  them,  Mollie.  Don't  be 
alarmed." 

"  How  many  are  there  in  the  canoe  ? " 

"  A  dozen  or  fifteen,  I  should  think,"  replied  he, 
after  he  had  again  examined  the  object  with  the 
glass.  . 

"  What  can  you  do  with  so  many  as  that  ? " 
asked  she,  in  despair. 

"  They  are  savages,  you  know  ;  and  they  are 
afraid  of  powder.  If  I  should  shoot  one  of  them, 
the  rest  would  run  away." 

"  Can't  we  hide?" 

**  That  will  do  no  good.  They  would  certainly 
find  us.  The  best  way  is  to  face  the  music." 


260  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  And  they  will  steal  all  our  things,  Noddy." 

*'  I  won't  let  them  steal  anything,"  said  he,  ex« 
amining  his  pistol. 

"  I  hope  you  won't  have  to  shoot  any  of  them. 
It  would  be  awful  to  kill  the  poor  creatures." 

"  I  won't  fire  if  I  can  help  it.  They  are  all 
looking  this  way,  and  I'm  sure  they  can  see  the 
house  and  the  tent." 

"  What  shall  we  do  ? "  cried  Mollie,  who  cer 
tainly  felt  that  the  end  of  all  things  had  come. 

"  We  can  do  nothing ;  and  we  may  as  well  take 
it  easy.  I  can't  tell  what  to  do  now ;  but  I  think 
I  will  go  down  and  hide  the  boat,  for  they  may 
carry  that  off." 

Mollie  went  with  him  to  the  inlet,  and  the  boat 
was  moved  up  among  the  bushes  where  the  sav 
ages  would  not  be  likely  to  find  it.  The  wind 
was  light,  and  the  great  canoe  advanced  but  slow 
ly.  The  men  on  board  of  her  appeared  to  be 
watching  the  island  with  as  much  interest  as  its 
occupants  regarded  the  approach  of  the  intruders. 

Off  the  reef  the  big  canoe  came  up  into  the 
wind,  and  the  savages  appeared  to  be  debating 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CEUISE.  2G1 

what  they  should  do  next.  They  could  see  the 
remains  of  the  wrecked  schooner  now ;  and  the 
question  appeared  to  be,  whether  they  should  visit 
that  or  the  shore.  But  she  soon  filled  away  again, 
and  passed  through  the  opening  in  the  reef.  Nod 
dy  had  three  pistols,  all  of  which  he  put  in  his 
belt,  and  finished  this  hostile  array  by  adding  a 
huge  butcher-knife  to  the  collection.  He  looked 
formidable  enough  to  fight  a  whole  army ;  but  he 
intended  only  to  make  a  prudent  display  of  force. 
Mollie  thought  it  was  rather  ridiculous  for  a  small 
boy  like  him  to  load  himself  down  with  so  many 
weapons,  which  could  not  avail  him,  if  a  conflict 
became  necessary,  against  sixteen  savages,  full 
grown,  and  accustomed  to  fighting.  But  Noddy 
was  general-in-chief  of  the  forces,  and  she  did  not 
remonstrate  any  further  than  to  beg  him  to  be 
prudent. 

The  canoe  slowly  approached  the  shore.  Those 
in  her  seemed  to  be  familiar  with  the  land,  for 
they  steered  directly  up  the  little  inlet  which  Nod 
dy  had  chosen  as  his  landing-place.  The  "lord 
of  the  isle,"  as  our  sailor-boy  felt  himself  to  be, 


262  WORK    AND    WIN,     OR 

moved  down  to  the  shore,  followed  by  Mollie. 
The  savages  could  now  be  distinctly  seen.  They 
were  horribly  tattooed,  and  they  did  not  look  very 
friendly.  As  the  canoe  touched  the  shore,  they 
sprang  to  their  feet,  and  Noddy's  calculations  were 
set  at  nought  by  the  discovery  that  several  were 
armed  with  guns. 

One  of  them  stepped  on  shore.  There  was  a 
broad  grin  on  his  ugly  face,  which  was  intended 
for  a  conciliatory  smile.  The  savage  walked  to 
wards  Noddy  with  his  hand  extended,  and  with  his 
mouth  stretched  open  from  ear  to  ear,  to  denote 
the  friendly  nature  of  his  mission.  The  boy  took 
the  hand,  and  tried  to  look  as  amiable  as  the  vis 
itor  ;  but  as  his  mouth  was  not  half  so  large,  he 
probably  met  with  only  a  partial  success. 

"  Americals  ? "  said  the  savage,  in  tones  so  loud 
that  poor  Mollie  was  actually  frightened  by  the 
sound. 

He  spoke  in  a  nasal  voice,  as  a  man  does  who 
has  a  cold  in  the  head ;  but  the  lord  of  the  isle 
was  surprised  and  pleased  to  hear  even  a  single 
word  of  his  mother  tongue.  He  pointed  impres- 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE  263 

-\vcly  to  the  American  flag,  which  had  been  hoisted 
on  a  pole,  as  he  had  seen  Captain  McClintock  do 
when  he  had  a  slight  difficulty  with  a  custom 
house  officer  at  Barbadoes,  and  politely  replied 
that  he  and  Mollie  were  Americans. 

"  Big  heap  thigs,"  added  the  savage,  pointing 
to  the  tent  filled  with  stores  and  merchandise. 

"  They  are  mine,"  said  Noddy. 

"  Americals  —  yes." 

"  What  do  you  want  ? " 

"  Big  wreck,"  said  the  visitor,  pointing  over  to 
the  schooner.  "  Big  lot  mel  ol  the  other  islal." 

"  Americans  ?  "  asked  Noddy,  clearly  understand 
ing  the  speaker,  whose  enunciation  was  principally 
defective  in  the  substitution  of  1's  for  n's. 

"  Four  Americals  ;    big  storm ;    come  in  boat." 

"  Do  you  hear  that,  Mollie  ? "  exclaimed  Noddy. 
"  He  aays  that  four  Americans  came  to  the  other 
island  in  a  boat." 

"  They  must  be  some  of  the  crew  of  the  Roe 
buck." 

"  Big  wreck  ;  log  time ;  fild  it  low,"  said  the 
savage,  pointing  to  the  schooner  again. 


264  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

They  had  been  looking  for  the  wreck  from  which 
the  four  men  had  been  saved,  but  had  not  been 
able  to  find  it  before. 

"  Whale  ship  over  there,"  added  he.  "  Take 
four  mcl  off." 

11  Is  she  there  now?"  asked  Noddy,  breathless 
with  interest. 

"Go  sool  —  to-morrow  —  lext  week." 

This  was  not  very  definite  ;  but  the  way  to  his 
native  land  seemed  to  be  open  to  him,  and  he 
listened  with  deep  emotion  to  the  welcome  in 
telligence. 

"  Can  we  go  over  there  ?  "  asked  Noddy,  point 
ing  to  his  companion. 

"  Go  with  we." 

"  We  will." 

"  Big  heap  thigs,"  added  the  savage,  pointing 
to  the  storehouse  again.  "  Walt  to  trade  ? " 

"  Yes ;  what  will  you  give  for  the  lot  ?  "  asked 
Noddy,  facetiously. 

"  Big  heap  thigs,"  replied  the  man,  not  com 
prehending  the  wholesale  trade. 

It  was  of  no  use  to  attempt  to  bargain  with  these 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  265 

people ;  tliey  had  no  money,  and  they  could  help 
themselves  to  what  they  pleased.  Noddy  gave 
them  heavy  articles  enough  to  load  their  boat,  for 
he  felt  that  he  had  no  further  use  for  them,  if 
there  was  a  whale  ship  at  the  other  island.  He 
questioned  the  savage  very  closely  in  regard  to  the 
vessel,  and  was  satisfied  that  he  spoke  the  truth. 
The  welcome  intelligence  that  a  portion  of  the 
Roebuck's  crew  had  been  saved,  rendered  the 
exiles  the  more  anxious  to  visit  the  island. 

The  savages  all  landed  and  gazed  at  Mollie  with 
the  utmost  interest  and  curiosity.  Probably  they 
had  never  before  seen  an  American  girl.  Rut  they 
were  respectful  to  her,  and  she  soon  ceased  to  be 
afraid  of  them.  She  laughed  with  them,  and  soon 
became  quite  intimate  with  the  whole  party. 
They  treated  her  like  a  superior  being ;  and  cer 
tainly  her  pretty  face  and  her  gentle  manners  were 
quite  enough  to  inspire  them  with  such  an  idea. 

The    savages    had    loaded    their    goods    into    the 

canoe,    and     were     ready     to     return.      The     man 

who    spoke    English    offered    them   a  passage  in  his 

craft ;    but  Noddy  decided  that   it  would   be   better 

23 


266  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

and  safer  for  them  to  go  over  in  their  own  boat. 
He  proceeded  to  secure  all  his  valuables,  including 
all  his  own  money  and  that  he  had  saved 
from  the  state-room  of  the  captain,  which  he  con 
cealed  about  his  clothes.  The  boat  was  well 
loaded  M'ith  such  articles  as  he  thought  would  be 
useful  to  Mollie,  or  would  sell  best  when  a  chance 
offered.  He  had  quite  a  cargo,  and  the  savages 
began  to  be  impatient  before  his  preparations  were 
completed. 

While  he  was  thus  employed,  Mollie  gathered 
fresh  flowers,  and  paid  her  last  visit,  as  she  sup 
posed,  to  the  grave  of  her  father.  She  wept  there, 
as  she  thought  of  leaving  him  in  that  far-off,  lonely 
island ;  but  she  was  consoled  by  the  belief  that 
her  father's  spirit  dwelt  in  the  happy  land,  where 
spring  eternal  ever  reigns. 

The  boat  was  ready;  she  wiped  away  her  tears, 
and  stepped  on  board.  Both  of  them  felt  sad  at 
the  thought  of  leaving  the  island ;  but  home  had 
hopes  which  reconciled  them  to  the  change. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  267 


CHAPTER     XX. 

HOMEWARD     BOUND. 

NODDY  shook  out  the  sail  of  the  boat,  and  push 
ing  her  off,  followed  the  canoe.  Though  the  exiles 
had  been  on  the  island  but  little  over  two  months, 
they  had  become  much  attached  to  their  new  home, 
and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  that  they  bade 
adieu  to  it.  The  house  and  other  improvements 
had  cost  Noddy  so  much  hard  labor  that  he  was 
sorry  to  leave  them  before  he  had  received  the  full 
benefit  of  all  the  comfort  and  luxury  which  they 
were  capable  of  affording. 

"  Don't  you  think  we  ought  to  live  on  the  island 
for  a  year  or  so,  after  all  the  work  we  have  done 
there  ?  "  said  Noddy,  as  the  boat  gathered  headway, 
and  moved  away  from  the  shore. 

"  I'm  sure  I  should  be  very  happy  there,  if  we 
had  to  stay,"  replied  Mollic.  "  But  I  don't  think  1 


268  WOBK   AND   witf,    OR 

should  care  to  remain  just  for  the  sake  of  living  in 
the  house  you  built." 

"  Nor  I ;  but  it  seems  to  me  just  as  though  I 
had  done  all  that  work  for  nothing." 

"  You  worked  very  hard." 

"  But  I  enjoyed  my  work,  for  all  that." 

"  And  you  think  you  did  not  win  anything  by 
it,"  added  she,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  don't  think  that.  I  used  to  hate  to  work 
when  I  was  at  Woodville.  I  don't  think  I  do  hate 
it  now." 

"  Then  you  have  won  something." 

"  I  think  I  have  won  a  great  deal,  when  I  look 
the  matter  over.  I  have  learned  a  great  many 
things." 

Noddy  had  only  a  partial  appreciation  of  what 
he  had  "  won,"  though  he  was  satisfied  that  his 
labor  had  not  been  wasted.  He  had  been  happy 
in  the  occupation  which  the  necessities  of  his  sit 
uation  demanded  of  him.  Many  a  boy,  wrecked  as 
he  had  been,  with  no  one  but  a  weak  and  timid 
girl  to  support  him,  would  have  done  nothing  but 
repine  at  his  hard  lot ;  would  have  lived  "  from 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  269 

hand  to  mouth "  during  those  two  months,  and 
made  every  day  a  day  of  misery.  Noddy  had  worked 
hard ;  but  what  had  he  won  ?  Was  his  labor,  now 
that  he  was  to  abandon  the  house,  the  cisterns,  the 
stores,  and  the  garden,  —  was  it  wasted  ? 

Noddy  had  won  two  months  of  happiness. 

He  had  won  a  knowledge  of  his  own  powers, 
mental  and  physical. 

He  had  won  a  valuable  experience  in  adapting 
means  to  ends,  which  others  might  be  years  in 
obtaining. 

He  had  won  a  vast  amount  of  useful  information 
from  the  stubborn  toil  he  had  performed. 

He  had  won  the  victory  over  idleness  and  indif 
ference,  which  had  beset  him  for  years. 

He  had  won  a  cheerful  spirit,  from  the  trials  and 
difficulties  he  had  encountered. 

He  had  won  a  lively  faith  in  things  higher  than 
earth,  from  the  gentle  and  loving  heart  that  shared 
his  exile,  for  whom,  rather  than  for  himself,  he  had 
worked. 

His  labor  was  not  lost.  He  had  won  more  than 
could  be  computed.  He  had  won  faith  and  hope, 
23* 


270  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OR 

confidence  in  himself,  an  earnest  purpose,  which 
were  to  go  through  life  with  him,  and  bless  him  to 
the  end  of  his  days,  and  through  the  endless  ages 
of  eternity.  He  had  worked  earnestly  ;  he  had  won 
untold  riches. 

The  wind  was  tolerably  fresh  after  the  boats 
passed  the  reef,  and  in  two  hours  they  were  near 
enough  to  a  large  island  to  enable  the  young  voyagers 
to  see  the  objects  on  the  shore.  But  they  followed 
the  canoe  beyond  a  point  of  the  land  ;  and,  after  a 
run  of  several  miles  more,  they  rounded  another 
point,  and  discovered  the  tall  masts  of  a  ship,  at 
anchor  in  a  small  bay. 

"  It  may  be  many  months  before  we  can  get 
home.  This  ship  may  have  to  cruise  a  year  or  two 
before  she  obtains  her  full  cargo  of  oil." 

"  I  hope  not." 

"  But  we  may  find  some  way  to  get  home.  I 
have  all  the  money  I  saved  from  the  vessel,  and 
we  can  pay  our  passage  home." 

The  money  reminded  the  orphan  girl  of  her 
father,  and  she  mused  upon  the  past.  The  boat 
sped  on  its  way,  and  in  a  short  time  reached  the 
ship. 


NODDY     XEAVMAX     ON     A     CRUISE.  271 

"  Hallo,  Noddy  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Lincoln,  as  the 
boat  approached.  "  And  Mollie  too  !  " 

The  mate  was  overjoyed  to  see  them,  and  to  find 
that  they  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck.  -He 
leaped  into  the  boat,  took  Mollie  in  his  arms,  and 
kissed  her  as  though  she  had  been  his  own  child. 
He  grasped  the  hand  of  Noddy,  and  wrung  it  till 
the  owner  thought  it  would  be  crushed  in  his  grip. 

"  I  was  sure  you  were  lost,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln. 

"  And  we  were  sure  you  were  lost,"  replied  Noddy. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  The  cabin  was  full  of 
water  when  we  left  the  schooner." 

"  You  didn't  wait  long,   Mr.   Lincoln." 

"  We  couldn't  wait  long.  The  sea  made  a  clean 
breach  over  the  wreck.  Only  four  of  us  were  saved ; 
the  rest  were  washed  away,  and  we  never  saw  any 
thing  more  of  them  !  " 

Noddy  and  Mollie  were  conducted  to  the  deck  of 
the  whale  ship,  where  they  were  warmly  welcomed 
by  the  captain  and  his  officers.  The  three  sailors 
who  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck  of  the  Roe 
buck  were  rejoiced  to  see  them  alive  and  well.  In 
the  presence  of  the  large  group  gathered  around 
himself  and  Mollie,  Noddy  told  his  story. 


272  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Captain  McClintock  was  lost,  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Noddy,  breaking  through  the 
crowd,  for  he  did  not  like  to  tell  the  particulars  of 
his-  death  in  poor  Mollic's  presence. 

At  a  later  hour  he  found  an  opportunity  to 
inform  his  late  shipmates  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  corpse  of  the  captain  had  been  found,  and  of 
its  burial  on  the  island.  In  return,  Mr.  Lincoln 
told  him  that  he  had  cast  off  the  boat  a  moment 
after  the  schooner  struck  upon  the  reef.  The  men 
who  happened  to  be  on  the  quarter-deck  with  him 
had  been  saved  ;  the  others  were  not  seen  after  the 
shock.  With  the  greatest  difficulty  they  had  kept 
the  boat  right  side  up,  for  she  was  often  full  of 
water.  For  hours  they  had  drifted  in  the  gale,  and 
in  the  morning,  when  the  storm  subsided,  they  had 
reached  the  island. 

They  had  been  kindly  treated  by  natives,  who 
were  partially  civilized  by  their  intercourse  with 
vessels  visiting  the  island,  and  with  which  they  car 
ried  on  commerce,  exchanging  the  products  of  the 
island  for  guns,  ammunition,  and  other  useful  and 
ornamental  articles-.  The  savages  knew  that,  if  they 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  273 

killed  or  injured  any  white  men,  the  terrible  ships 
of  war  would  visit  them  with  the  severest  pun 
ishment. 

"  What  ship  is  this  r  "  asked  Noddy,  when  the 
past  had  been  satisfactorily  explained  by  both 
parties. 

"The  Atlantic,  of  New  Bedford,"  replied  the 
mate.  "  She  is  full  of  oil,  and  is  homeward  bound." 

"  Good  !  "  exclaimed  Noddy.  "  I  suppose  I  have 
nothing  further  to  do  in  this  part  of  the  world,  and 
I  may  as  well  go  in  her." 

"  This  hasn't  been  a  very  profitable  cruise  to 
me,"  added  Mr.  Lincoln. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  there  is  no  help  for  it ;  and  I 
hope  you  will  have  better  luck  next  time." 

"  I  don't  grumble  ;  these  things  can't  always  be 
helped.  Wre  were  lucky  to  escape  with  our  lives, 
and  we  won't  say  a  word  about  the  wages  we  have 
lost." 

"  Perhaps  you  won't  lose  them,"  added  Mollie ; 
and  there  was  a  slight  flush  on  her  fair  cheeks,  for 
her  pride  and  her  filial  affection  were  touched  by 
the  reflection  that  these  men  had  suffered  from  her 
father's  infirmity. 


274  WORK     AXD     WIN,     OB 

The  captain  of  the  whale  ship  was  entirely  will 
ing  to  take  the  exiles  as  passengers  ;  and  Noddy 
told  him  he  had  saved  a  great  many  articles,  which 
might  be  of  service  to  him.  The  next  day,  when 
the  vessel  had  taken  in  her  water,  she  sailed  for 
the  beautiful  island.  Outside  the  reef  she  lay  to, 
and  the  boats  were  sent  on  shore  to  bring  off  such 
of  the  goods  as  would  be  useful  on  the  voyage. 

Noddy  and  Mollie  had  an  oj  ")ortunity  to  visit  their 
island  home  once  more  ;  and,  while  the  former 
assisted  the  men  in  selecting  and  loading  the  goods, 
the  latter  gathered  fresh  flowers,  and  for  the  last 
time  strewed  them  on  the  grave  of  her  father. 

The  "  big  heap  thigs "  was  very  much  reduced 
by  the  visit  of  the  boats ;  but  there  was  still 
enough  left  to  reward  the  natives  who  had  be 
friended  the  young  islanders  for  the  service  they 
had  rendered.  According  to  the  captain's  estimate. 
—  which  was  rather  low,  —  he  took  about  four  hun 
dred  dollars'  worth  of  goods  from  the  island.  Mollie, 
as  her  father's  heir,  was  the  owner  of  the  property, 
subject  to  Noddy's  claim  for  salvage.  With  Mr. 
Lincoln's  aid  the  accounts  were  settled.  Mollie 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  275 

insisted  upon  paying  the  mate  and  the  three  seamen 
their  wages  up  to  the  time  they  would  reach  their 
native  land.  This,  with  their  own  passage,  con* 
sumed  nearly  the  whole  sum. 

Besides  the  property  saved  from  the  island,  there 
were  about  sixteen  hundred  dollars  in  gold  and 
silver,  and  the  valuable  nautical  instruments  of 
Captain  McClintock,  making  a  total  of  over  two 
thousand  dollars.  Though  the  disposition  of  this 
property  was  properly  a  subject  for  the  maritime 
courts  to  settle,  Mr.  Lincoln  and  the  officers  of  the 
ship  talked  it  over,  and  decided  that  one  half 
belonged  to  Mollie,  in  right  of  her  father,  and  the 
other  half  to  Noddy,  as  salvage,  —  which  is  the 
part  of  property  saved  from  a  wrecked  or  imperilled 
ship,  awarded  to  those  who  save  it. 

Noddy  at  first  positively  objected  to  this  decree, 
and  refused  to  take  a  dollar  from  the  poor  orphan 
girl ;  but  when  the  captain  told  him  that  a  court 
would  probably  award  him  a  larger  share,  and 
when  Mollie  almost  cried  because  he  refused,  he 
consented  to  take  it  ;  but  it  was  with  a  determina 
tion  to  have  it  applied  to  her  use  when  he  got 


276  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

home.  The  whale  ship  filled  away  when  the  goods 
had  been  taken  on  board,  and  weeks  and  months 
she  stood  on  her  course,  till  the  welcome  shores  of 
their  native  land  gladdened  the  sight  of  the  exiled 
children.  Mollie  had  been  a  great  favorite  with  the 
officers  and  crew  during  the  voyage,  and  many  of 
them  were  the  wiser  and  the  better  for  the  gentle 
words  she  spoke  to  them.  The  captain  sold  the 
nautical  instruments,  and  the  money  was  divided 
according  to  the  decision  of  the  council  of  officers. 
Noddy  was  now  the  possessor  of  about  twelve  hun 
dred  dollars,  which  was  almost  a  fortune  to  a  boy 
of  twelve.  It  had  been  "  work  and  win "  to  some 
purpose,  in  spite  of  the  disastrous  conclusion  of  the 
voyage. 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A    CRUISE.  277 


CHAPTER     XXI. 

THE     CLERGYMAN     AND     HIS     WIFE. 

THE  captain  of  the  whale  ship  very  kindly  took 
the  young  voyagers  to  his  own  house  until  their 
affairs  were  settled  up.  He  had  dealt  fairly  and 
justly  by  them  in  all  things,  and  both  were  grate 
ful  to  him  for  the  interest  he  had  manifested  in 
their  welfare. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now,  Noddy  ? " 
asked  Mollie,  after  the  instruments  had  been  sold 
and  the  proceeds  paid  over  to  them. 

"  I'm  going  to  Woodville,  now,  to  face  the 
music,"  replied  Noddy.  "  I  suppose  they  will  take 
me  to  the  court-house ;  but  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  to  submit  to  the  penalty,  whatever  it  may 
be,  for  setting  the  boat-house  afire." 

"  Fanny  has    told    all    about    it   before  this  time, 
you    may  be    certain,"  added    Mollie,    to    whom    he 
had  related  the  story  of  the  fire. 
24 


278  WORK     AND     WIN,     OK 

"  I  hope  she  has  not ;  for  I  think  I  am  the 
guilty  one.  She  Avouldn't  have  set  the  fire  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  me.  I  am  going  to  stand  right  up 
to  it,  and  take  the  consequences,  even  if  they  send 
me  to  prison  ;  but  I  hope  they  won't  do  that." 

"  I'm  sure  they  won't.  But,  Noddy,  suppose 
Miss  Fanny  has  not  told  the  truth  yet.  Will  you 
still  deceive  your  kind  friends  ?  You  told  me  you 
had  been  made  over  new  since  you  left  Woodville, 
and  I  know  you  have.  You  said  you  meant  to 
live  a  good  life,  and  not  lie,  or  steal,  or  get  angry, 
or  do  anything  that  is  bad." 

"  Well,  I  mean  so,  Mollie.  I  intend  to  stick 
to  it.  They  won't  know  anything  about  that. 
They  won't  believe  anything  I  say." 

"  They  must  believe  you.  I'll  go  with  you, 
Noddy ! "  exclaimed  she,  smiling  at  the  happy 
thought.  "  I  will  tell  them  all  about  you." 

"  That  will  be  jolly ;  and  the  sooner  we  go 
the  better." 

Their  good  friend  the  captain  found  a  gentle 
man  who  was  going  to  New  York,  and  they 
accompanied  him,  though  Noddy  felt  abundantly 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  279 

able  to  take  care  of  himself  and  his  fair  charge. 
They  arrived  the  next  morning,  and  took  an  early 
train  for  Woodville. 

Noddy  conducted  Mollie  down  the  road  to  the 
lawn  in  front  of  the  house.  His  heart  bounded 
with  emotion  as  he  once  more  beheld  the  familiar 
scenes  of  the  past.  As  he  walked  along  he 
pointed  out  to  his  interested  companion  the  various 
objects  which  were  endeared  to  him  by  former 
associations.  He  talked  because  he  could  not  help 
it;  for  he  was  so  agitated  he  did  not  know 
whether  he  was  on  his  head  or  his  heels.  He 
heard  a  step  on  one  of  the  side  paths.  He  turned 
to  see  who  it  was,  and  Bertha  Grant  rushed 
towards  him. 

"Why,  Noddy  !  Is  that  you  ? "  cried  she,  grasping 
him  with  both  hands.  "  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  !  " 

"  You'd  better  believe  I'm  glad  to  see  you 
again,"  said  he,  trying  to  keep  from  crying. 

The  poor  fellow  actually  broke  down,  he  was  so 
much  affected  by  the  meeting. 

"  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you  again  for  years, 
after  the  letter  you  wrote  me." 


280  WORK     AND     WIN,     OR 

"  Been  cast  away,  Miss  Bertha,  and  lived  two 
months  on  an  island  where  nobody  lived,"  blub 
bered  Noddy. 

"  Who  is  this  little  girl  with  you  ?  Is  this 
Mollie,  of  whom  you  spoke  in  your  letter  ? " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Bertha,  that's  Mollie ;  and  she  is 
the  best  girl  in  the  world,  except  yourself." 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  Mollie,"  said  Ber 
tha,  taking  her  hand,  and  giving  her  a  kind  recep 
tion.  "  Now,  come  into  the  house." 

Bertha,  finding  Noddy  so  completely  overcome 
by  his  emotions,  refrained  from  asking  him  ajiy 
more  questions,  though  she  was  anxious  to  hear 
the  sad  story  of  the  shipwreck.  Mr.  Grant  had 
not  yet  gone  to  the  city,  and  he  received  the 
returned  exiles  as  though  they  had  been  his  own 
children. 

*'  I've  come  back,  Mr.  Grant,  to  settle  up  old 
affairs,  and  you  can  send  me  to  the  court-house  or 
the  prison  now.  I  did  wrong,  and  I  am  willing  to 
suffer  for  it." 

"  I  have  told  them  all  about  it,  Noddy,"  inter 
rupted  Miss  Fanny,  blushing.  "  I  couldn't  stand 
it  after  you  went  away." 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  281 

"  It  was  my  fault,"  said  Noddy.  "  I  said  so 
then,  and  I  say  so  now." 

"  We  won't  say  anything  about  that  until  after 
breakfast.  We  are  very  glad  you  have  come  back ; 
and  we  don't  care  about  thinking  of  anything  else, 
at  present,"  said  Mr.  Grant. 

Breakfast  was  provided  for  the  wanderer  and  his 
friend,  and  Mollie  was  soon  made  quite  at  home 
by  the  kind  attentions  of  Bertha  and  Fanny. 
When  the  meal  was  ended,  Noddy  insisted  upon 
"  settling  up  old  affairs,"  as  he  called  it.  He 
declared  that  the  blame  ought  to  rest  on  him,  and 
he  was  willing  to  suffer.  Mr.  Grant  said  that  he 
was  satisfied.  Fanny  was  to  blame,  and  she  had 
already  been  severely  punished  for  her  fault. 

"You  will  not  send  poor  Noddy  to  prison — • 
will  you  ? "  interposed  Mollie.  "  He  is  a  good 
boy  now.  He  saved  my  life,  and  took  care  of  me 
for  months.  You  will  find  that  he  is  not  the  same 
Noddy  he  used  to  be.  He  is  made  over  new." 

"  I'm    glad    to    hear    that,"    replied    Mr.    Grant. 
"  But,  Noddy,  did    you   really  think    I    intended    to 
send   you    to  jail  ? " 
24* 


282  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

"  Yes,  sir ;  what  was  the  constable  after  me 
for,  if  not  for  that  r " 

"  It's  a  mistake,  and  I  told  you  so  in  Albany. 
Didn't  I  say  you  would  be  a  rich  man  ? " 

"  You  did,  sir  ;  but  I  thought  that  was  only  to 
catch  me.  All  of  them  said  something  of  that 
sort.  I  knew  I  couldn't  be  a  rich  man,  because 
my  father  never  had  a  cent  to  leave  me.  That's 
what  they  told  me." 

"  But  you  had  an  uncle." 

"  Never  heard  of  him,"  replied  Noddy,  bewil 
dered  at  the  prospect  before  him. 

"  Your  father's  only  brother  died  in  California 
more  than  a  year  ago.  lie  had  no  family  ;  but  an 
honest  man  who  went  with  him  knew  Avhere  he 
came  from  ;  and  Squire  Wriggs  has  hunted  up  all 
the  evidence,  which  fully  proves  that  all  your 
uncle's  property,  in  the  absence  of  other  heirs, 
belongs  to  you.  He  left  over  thirty  thousand  dol 
lars,  and  it  is  all  yours/' 

"  Dear  me ! "  exclaimed  Noddy,  utterly  con 
founded  by  this  intelligence. 

"  This  sum,  judiciously  invested,  will   produce  at 


NODDY     NEWMAN1     ON     A     CRUISE.  283 

least  fifty  thousand  when  you  are  of  age.  I  have 
been  appointed  your  guardian." 

"  I  don't  think  I'm  Noddy  Newman  after  this,'* 
added  the  heir,  in  breathless  excitement. 

"  I  know  you  are  not,"  added  Bertha,  laughing. 
"  Your  real  name  is  Ogden  Newman." 

"  How  are  you,  Ogden  ? "  said  Noddy,  amused 
at  his  new  name. 

"  I  suppose  Noddy  came  from  Ogden,"  said 
Mr.  Grant. 

"  If  that's  what's  the  matter,  I  don't  see  what 
you  wanted  to  take  me  to  court  for." 

"  As  you  have  come  to  years  of  discretion,  you 
might  have  had  the  privilege  of  naming  your  own 
guardian ;  and  we  were  going  to  take  you  to  the 
court  for  that  purpose.  As  you  were  not  here  to 
speak  for  yourself,  I  was  appointed.  If  you  are 
not  satisfied,  the  proceedings  can  be  reviewed." 

"  I'm  satisfied  first  rate,"  laughed  Noddy.  "  But 
you  said  something  about  sending  me  off." 

**  My  plan  was  to  send  you  to  the  Tunbrook 
Military  Institute,  where  Richard  is,  and  make  a 
man  of  you." 


284  WORK    AND    WIN,    OR 

"  I  should  like  that  —  perhaps." 

•'  You  gave  me  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  find 
you ;  and  I  did  not  succeed,  after  all,"  added 
Mr.  Grant. 

"  I  didn't  know  what  you  was  after.  If  I  had,  I 
shouldn't  have  been  in  such  a  hurry.  But  I  guess 
it  was  all  for  the  best.  I've  been  at  work,  Miss 
Bertha,  since  I  went  away,"  said  Noddy,  turning 
to  his  teacher  and  friend. 

"Did    you    win  ?  " 

"  I  rather  think  I  did,"  replied  he,  depositing 
his  twelve  hundred  dollars  on  the  table.  "  That's 
rather  better  than  being  a  tinker,  I  reckon,  Miss 
Bertha." 

"  O,  if  you  had  seen  him  work.  He  did  things 
which  a  great  man  could  not  have  done,"  said 
Mollie,  with  enthusiasm.  "  And  he's  real  good, 
too.  He'll  never  do  anything  wrong  again." 

"  We  must  hear  all  about  it  now,  Ogden,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Grant." 

"  Who  ? " 

"  Ogden ;    that's  your  name  now." 

Between   Noddy  and    Mollie    the  story  was  told ; 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     I'RUISE.  285 

and  there  was  hardly  a  dry  eye  in  the  room  when 
the  parts  relating  to  the  yellow  fever  and  the 
funeral  of  Captain  McClintock  were  narrated. 
Noddy  told  the  burden  of  the  story ;  but  he  was 
occasionally  interrupted  by  Mollie,  who  wanted  to 
tell  how  her  friend  watched  over  her  and  her 
father  when  they  were  sick  with  the  fever,  and 
what  kindness  and  consideration  he  had  used  in 
procuring  and  burying  the  remains  of  her  father. 
Noddy  only  told  facts ;  she  supplied  what  she  re 
garded  as  very  important  omissions. 

When  the  narrative  was  finished,  Mr.  Grant  and 
Bertha  were  willing  to  believe  that  Noddy  had 
been  made  over  new ;  that  he  had  worked,  morally 
as  well  as  physically,  and  won,  besides  the  treas 
ure  on  the  table,  good  principles  enough  to  save 
him  from  the  errors  which  had  formerly  beset  him ; 
had  won  a  child's  faith  in  God,  and  a  man's  con 
fidence  in  himself.  The  whole  family  were  deeply 
interested  in  Mollie;  they  pitied  and  loved  her; 
and  as  she  had  no  near  relatives,  they  insisted 
upon  her  remaining  at  Woodville. 

"  This  is  your   money,  Ogden,  and   I   suppose   1 


286  WORK     AND     WIX,     OR 

am  to  invest  it  with  the  rest  of  your  property," 
said  Mr.  Grant. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Noddy,  promptly.  "  You 
know  how  I  got  that  money,  and  I  don't  think 
it  belongs  to  me.  Besides,  I'm  rich,  and  don't 
want  it.  Mollie  must  have  every  dollar  of  it." 

"  Bravo,  Noddy,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Grant.  "  I 
approve  that  with  all  my  heart." 

"  Why,  no,  Noddy.  You  earned  it  all,"  said 
Mollie.  "  One  hundred  dollars  of  it  was  yours 
before  the  wreck." 

"  I  don't  care  for  that.  Mr.  Grant  shall  take 
care  of  the  whole  of  it  for  you,  or  you  may  take 
it,  as  you  please." 

Mollie  was  in  the  minority,  and  she  had  to 
yield  the  point ;  and  Mr.  Grant  was  instructed  to 
invest  all  she  had,  being  the  entire  net  proceeds 
of  what  was  saved  from  the  wreck. 

After  the  story  had  been  told,  all  the  young 
people  took  a  walk  on  the  estate,  during  which 
Noddy  saw  Ben  and  the  rest  of  the  servants. 
The  old  man  was  delighted  to  meet  him  again, 
and  the  others  were  hardly  less  rejoiced.  The 


NODDY     NEWMAN     ON     A     CRUISE.  287 

boat-house  had  been  rebuilt.  It  was  winter,  and 
every  craft  belonging  to  the  establishment  was 
housed. 

In  the  spring,  Noddy,  or  Ogden,  as  he  was 
now  called,  was  sent  to  the  Tunbrook  Institute ; 
while  Bertha  found  a  faithful  pupil,  and  Fanny  a 
devoted  friend,  in  Mollie. 

Three  months  at  "\Yoodville  convinced  Mr.  Grant 
and  Bertha  that  the  change  in  Noddy  was  radical 
and  permanent.  Though  not  now  required  to  work, 
he  was  constantly  employed  in  some  useful  occupa 
tion.  He  was  no  longer  an  idler  and  a  vagabond, 
but  one  of  the  most  industrious,  useful,  and  re 
liable  persons  on  the  estate. 

He  did  not  work  with  his  hands  only.  There 
was  a  work  for  the  mind  and  the  heart  to  do, 
and  he  labored  as  perseveringly  and  as  successfully 
in  this  field  as  in  the  other.  At  Tunbrook  he  was 
a  hard  student,  and  graduated  with  the  highest 
intellectual  honors.  From  there  he  went  to  college. 

The  influence  of  those  scenes  when  the  yellow 
fever  was  raging  around  him,  when  the  stormy 
ocean  threatened  to  devour  him,  and  perhaps  more 


288  WORK     AND     WIN. 

than  all  others,  when  he  stood  at  the  open  grave 
of  Captain  McClintock,  was  never  obliterated  from 
his  mind.  They  colored  his  subsequent  existence ; 
and  when  he  came  to  choose  a  profession,  he  se 
lected  that  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 

The  Rev.  Ogden  Newman  is  not,  and  never  will 
be,  a  brilliant  preacher ;  but  he  is  a  faithful  and 
devoted  "  shepherd  of  the  sheep."  t  The  humble 
parish  over  whose  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  he 
presides  is  not  more  rejoiced  and  comforted  by  his 
own  ministrations  than  by  the  loving  words  and 
the  pure  example  of  the  gentle  being  who  now 
walks  hand  in  hand  with  him  in  the  journey  of 
life,  cheered  by  his  presence  and  upheld  by  his 
strong  arm,  as  she  was  in  the  days  of  the  storm 
and  the  pestilence.  Mollie  McClintock  is  Mrs. 
Ogden  Newman;  and  as  together  they  work,  to 
gether  they  shall  win. 


LOAN  DEPT 


.General  Library 
University  of  r*i^._, 


ty  of  California 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


